And I was born in Detroit … to two parents who wrote advertising for car companies, back in "the first half," when America was winning the game handily thanks to a great offensive line called manufacturing.

The ad, universally described as "powerful," was reportedly written by three copywriters, one of whom is a poet. And now the "politics" of the ad are being debated.

Come on, everybody: This was nothing other than a transparent attempt to strum the heart strings of the sorts of John Boehner types who weep every time they hear the national anthem. The aim: To manipulate those people, who are more likely to buy American cars on patriotic "principle," into transferring their nostalgic love for America—and for Clint Eastwood, who has become his own Saturday Night Live-quality caricature of himself—to Chrysler and its brands. (RAM. DODGE. JEEP. CHRYSLER.)

In short, the ad is an appeal by the professionally cynical—I know! We'll get Clint Eastwood!—to the mindlessly sentimental—or, not to be holier-than-thou, to the mindlessly sentimental part of each of us.

If you found this ad powerful, you're powerless over your own emotions.