Pete Hoekstra's Super Bowl ad: "We take your jobs"

**partystore** · February-06-12, 12:58 PM

This aired in Michigan during the Super Bowl. It includes broken English from an Asian woman saying "We take your jobs." You can thank Pete Hoekstra. He's a Republican runnin' for US Senate. Old Pete really made a splash, didn't he?

I can only imagine what a Hoekstra commercial on welfare would be like...

**jolla** · February-06-12, 01:01 PM

I find his overt racism a refreshing time-saver: now I don't have to guess.

**Novine** · February-06-12, 01:01 PM

What an idiot.

**Bham1982** · February-06-12, 01:06 PM

This was one of the most offensive things I have seen. A gong, rice paddies, and pidgin English.

**Danny** · February-06-12, 01:12 PM

This negative campaign ad is Pete Hoekstra's way of destroying Stabenow's democratic career and tighting the district for a republican stronghold in the Michigan Legislature. It's not going to happen. Keep Stabenow in office. So far there is no stong evidence that Stabenow assist of outsouring jobs to China.

**Detroitnerd** · February-06-12, 01:13 PM

Hilariously, there is an ad for him on the right of this page right now.

**mwilbert** · February-06-12, 01:14 PM

I doubt this commercial is going to end up being a net positive for Rep Hoekstra, simply because the fact that he couldn't recognize its offensiveness to large numbers of people doesn't speak well to his cluefulness.

The underlying premise is also dubious. There is a vast amount of US debt in the world, and there would be a huge amount for decades to come even if the US were running a balanced budget right now. China could buy as much of that as they wanted. The problem, insofar as it exists, is that China has that vast quantity of dollars to recycle into dollar assets because of our large trade deficits The trade deficit is at least arguably a problem, and almost certainly costs US jobs, but it isn't caused by government overspending. There isn't any reason to think that cutting government spending would cut the trade deficit with China except insofar as it slowed the US economy in general, and that would hardly be beneficial to US employment or workers. If Hoekstra thinks a large trade deficit with China is a problem, he should propose policies that actually have something to do with that, or complain about policies of Sen. Stabenow that exacerbate it.

**Detroitnerd** · February-06-12, 01:15 PM

Maybe that stuff plays out in the second district, but it's an embarrassment to much of the rest of the state.

"Me Pete Hoekstra. Me work with both party for years, sending you job to China and other country. Now we use fear of foreign person to scare voter. Thank you, America."

**partystore** · February-06-12, 01:16 PM

http://www.freep.com/article/20120206/NEWS15/120206008/With-videos-Pete-Hoekstra-Super-Bowl-ad-slammed?odyssey=tab|mostpopular|text|FRONTPAGE

"There's nothing racist in this ad. This is all about holding Debbie accountable for her reckless spending." - Pete Hoekstra

**sycloneman** · February-06-12, 01:20 PM

While this spot may have not been in the best of taste and at his own peril, I don't see it as racist. I don't think the point of the message was to belittle China...did anyone get that from the spot? He was making a point based on what he sees. It had to do with China. Stupid? Perhaps. Not in great taste? Perhaps, but it was to make a point and in this way the music, background, girl on bike made it so he didn't have to lay all that out and take up more time...which in the ad world, is money.

**ghettopalmetto** · February-06-12, 01:25 PM

Oh, and look--Cranky Pete invented a clever and hilarious way to make fun of Debbie Stabenow's name. How adorable and endearing!

**Bagley** · February-06-12, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by sycloneman

While this spot may have not been in the best of taste and at his own peril, I don't see it as racist. I don't think the point of the message was to belittle China...did anyone get that from the spot? He was making a point based on what he sees. It had to do with China. Stupid? Perhaps. Not in great taste? Perhaps, but it was to make a point and in this way the music, background, girl on bike made it so he didn't have to lay all that out and take up more time...which in the ad world, is money.

The problem is that instead of just saying what he meant, he used nearly every stereotype of Asia and all things oriental to imply his meaning. Time is money and all of the people he managed to alienate represent him wasting his money on further campaigning.

**firstandten** · February-06-12, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by sycloneman

While this spot may have not been in the best of taste and at his own peril, I don't see it as racist. I don't think the point of the message was to belittle China...did anyone get that from the spot? He was making a point based on what he sees. It had to do with China. Stupid? Perhaps. Not in great taste? Perhaps, but it was to make a point and in this way the music, background, girl on bike made it so he didn't have to lay all that out and take up more time...which in the ad world, is money.

However where do you draw the line between "bad taste" and "racist"

While it is true not all ads in bad taste are racist, I would bet all ads that are racist are also in bad taste.

The point is the ad is sliding a slippery slope that Hoeksta didn't have to go.

**canuck** · February-06-12, 01:36 PM

Sweet looking girl, what a letdown when Hoekstra comes on. It makes you want to spend more time and money in China IMO...

**ferndalien** · February-06-12, 01:38 PM

Surprised he didn't hire Mickey Rooney to reprise his role from Breakfast at Tiffany's...

**Detroitnerd** · February-06-12, 01:39 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwZ7I7ApghQ

**sycloneman** · February-06-12, 01:42 PM

Firstandten and Bagley, you both make valid points. I just had a few people close to me jump right out and say that he's a racist and he hates Chinese people...etc. I think the ad was a flop just because of the fact that no one got the actual message about Stabenow, rather all they saw was "red".

**noise** · February-06-12, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by sycloneman

While this spot may have not been in the best of taste and at his own peril, I don't see it as racist. I don't think the point of the message was to belittle China...did anyone get that from the spot? He was making a point based on what he sees. It had to do with China. Stupid? Perhaps. Not in great taste? Perhaps, but it was to make a point and in this way the music, background, girl on bike made it so he didn't have to lay all that out and take up more time...which in the ad world, is money.

An attempt to belittle China wouldn't be the only way this add could be considered racist.

An actress with broken English or a white man in blackface. What's the difference?

**partystore** · February-06-12, 01:44 PM

Anytime you personify a contentious issue with a stereotype, that's prejudice.

Hoekstra chooses an Asian woman in broken English to represent our trade deficit with China in this ad... not the very American corporations responsible for perpetuating the trade deficit by outsourcing manufacturing jobs. Classic demagoguery.

**FlyingJ** · February-06-12, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by canuck

Sweet looking girl, what a letdown when Hoekstra comes on. It makes you want to spend more time and money in China IMO...

eh, would a Troy motel callgirl be more effective?

**Detroitnerd** · February-06-12, 01:53 PM

Yeah, what if he did a blackface ad about those shiftless people in Detroit who are so happy with Debbie for bringing them some federal money? "H'yah, boss?" And then Creaky Pete to the rescue. "Feets, do yo stuff!"

**sycloneman** · February-06-12, 01:54 PM

Hoekstra chooses an Asian woman in broken English to represent our trade deficit with China in this ad...

...because a pie chart would be so much more entertaining!

Does everyone in China speak fluent English? Does everyone in the United States speak fluent Chinese?

I understand what some people are saying but I think our society is becoming a mass of overly sensitive wimps.

**antongast** · February-06-12, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by sycloneman

...because a pie chart would be so much more entertaining!

Lots of people manage to simultaneously be entertaining and not racist. It really isn't that difficult. And I can think of lots of pie charts that have entertained me more than that Hoekstra ad.

**jolla** · February-06-12, 02:03 PM

I find it racist and in bad taste. To send the signal that racism doesn't work in MI, I'll be voting for Stabinow [[which I was not going to do...).

**gazhekwe** · February-06-12, 02:08 PM

I got that Pete is afraid our rice growing jobs will go to China, where all they do is grow rice. Rice, coolie hat, nice scene reminiscent of old Chinese art in the background, Huh? What does a rice worker have to do with taking our jobs? Plus it seemed pretty clear the actress spoke excellent English, but was putting on that she couldn't, so that pidgin bit was part of the script.