One of the most striking aspects of the 2014 Superbowl that was grotesquely obvious was the string of patriotism that permeated from the event. Usually, a month after such sporting events, most people will have long forgotten who won or lost the game. Yet advertisers spending many millions of dollars in production costs alone produce some of the most creative commercials that will be seen all year which set the pace of marketing for the following year. Most of those commercials are decided upon well in advance under the careful guidance of agencies that make their recommendations based on lots of statistical behavioral data. Patriotism was an unannounced theme at this latest Superbowl which is not an accident. It was seen in the controversial Coke multi-lingual commercial, the Bob Dylan bit for Chrysler and most obviously in the below advertisement for the upcoming movie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier—which plays right into the sense of patriotic recognition that the Superbowl was trying to create.
There were many more examples especially during the pre-game ceremonies—more so than during normal Superbowls–which brought to my mind a theory. As hated as the Tea Party has been relative to the rest of the world, a lot of people not affiliated with the movement have had their American patriotism questioned. There is a desire for Michelle Obama, John Boehner and the rest of the RINOS to declare that they are patriotic too, and not statist slugs filled with apathy and corruption. There are companies who have made deals with politics to become cronies of capitalism and feel guilty about it—so they are using the Superbowl to tell 111.5 million viewers that they are not American enemies, but are as well patriotic and in love with freedom, and their country. It was a chance to react to the needle movement created by the Tea Party, and statists took advantage of it as if to answer the criticism leveled in their direction.
During the Lakota school levy fights of years past many in my community thought I unfairly kept moving the goal posts further back never accepting the concessions of negotiation that were taking place. After a few years when the attempts to reach across the aisle were slapped away—there was frustration that I did not move from my position—or that I carried my position further to the right. That is by strategy. That same strategy is at play on a larger scale by the Tea Party and the evidence could be seen rather clearly at the 2014 Superbowl. The patriotism is an appeasement by the statists, crony capitalists, diabolical socialists, and other collectivist organizations to cover themselves in the American flag even as they have built their lives around tearing it apart or disrespecting it. Their desire to prove that they too are patriotic is driven by the social pressure to answer the criticisms of the Tea Party.
Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh are enormously popular on the radio dial, and Bill O’Reilly—who considers himself patriotic and was the Fox representative handling a difficult President Obama interview before the Superbowl–set the stage for the evening at 4:30 PM on a Sunday afternoon. All those characters are considered “patriotic” and have large followings. The Tea Party is certainly larger than the listening audience of Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck but both commentators could be argued to provide daily sustenance for the movement. Many Tea Party types listen to both radio hosts during the day—and those numbers are upwards of 15 million.
Advertising agencies cannot ignore these hidden statistics. There is a very large demographic base that considers themselves very patriotic—who listen to Beck, Limbaugh and O’Reilly daily. There are many more who lean to the right of those entertainers like Alex Jones, Wayne Allyn Root and even writers like me who go further down the rabbit hole of conservativism—self reliance, and personal independence. Relatively few people consider themselves New York progressives or Los Angeles latte sippers—the appeal of those places is not what it used to be. Most people between those cities have an inkling of what conservativism is—and it’s not what the Grand Ol’ Party is serving up.
So the entertainment culture is on the defensive—they are trying to prove to Middle America that they are good people who want what’s best for The United States. But their actions say otherwise. That is why it is important for the Tea Party to keep moving the goal posts further to the right. Without question this will cause resentment, but it will also help make the world a better place by not allowing unchecked statists to wave American flags over their heads while they screw us all behind our backs. Their behavior is the same as the guy who cheats on his wife then tells his wife—“I love you.” If a man will cheat on his wife, he’ll cheat on his country even when he declares love for both. His actions speak more loudly than just the cosmetic appearances of patriotism. A multi-million dollar Superbowl commercial can’t make someone patriotic. Just like Robert Redford’s appearance in the new Captain America film does not erase his long past with socialist and left-leaning radicals. He’s just an actor playing a part just like most everyone else in the Superbowl, including Michelle and Barack Obama.
The Tea Party goal posts are proving effective. Public sentiment is changing for the better—ever so subtly. But that sentiment cannot be met half-way. The Tea Party does not need to come off their position to continue the progress. All that is needed is to remain steadfast and let everyone else come to the Tea Party position. There is no reason to sacrifice, negotiate, or “compromise” with those statist oriented idiots. They are in the minority, they are wrong, and they are obligated to right themselves—not for the rest of us to shed away bits of ourselves to make them feel better about their mistakes they have made in their lives. By holding true, the Tea Party may save the world yet—and a lot of the people living upon it. But compromise won’t get the job done.
Rich Hoffman
The Overmanwarrior 