Newt Gingrich said that he found inspiration in the controversial Chrysler Super Bowl ad that many Republicans have argued carried a political message in support of the Obama administration.
"While there's some controversy about it, I have to confess, I liked the Clint Eastwood halftime ad. I mean, I liked the tone of that ad, I like the idea that the world has counted us down before, we're just regrouping. I believe with your help in the primary, with your help in the general election, we can, in fact develop an approach that will put America back on the right track," Gingrich said during a campaign stop in Cleveland.
The commercial, which aired during the halftime show at Sunday's Super Bowl, drew criticism from prominent conservatives, including senior Bush adviser Karl Rove.
“I was, frankly, offended by it,” Rove said on Fox News Monday. “I'm a huge fan of Clint Eastwood, I thought it was an extremely well-done ad, but it is a sign of what happens when you have Chicago-style politics, and the president of the United States and his political minions are, in essence, using our tax dollars to buy corporate advertising.”
The ad, part of Chrysler's "Imported from Detroit" series of commercials, featured Eastwood extolling the company's rebound from bankruptcy — credited by many to a controversial federal bailout.
“It’s halftime in America, too. People are out of work, and they’re hurting. And they’re all wondering what they’re going to do to make a comeback. And we’re all scared because this isn’t a game. The people of Detroit know a little something about this. They almost lost everything. But we all pulled together, now Motor City is fighting again," Eastwood said.
Chrysler and Eastwood have denied that the ad carried political content, and the White House said it had no knowledge of the spot before it aired. But both David Axelrod, Obama's campaign manager, and Dan Pfeiffer, the White House communications director, praised the commercial on Twitter, further fueling Republican outcry.
Gingrich might also have identified with the message, having spoken repeatedly about the "elite media" counting him out at different points throughout the campaign, only to resurface. Gingrich will need another comeback to reassert himself into a Republican primary that has seen rivals Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum pile up impressive wins over the past two weeks.
