If there was one ad that seemed to spark the greatest sense of Americana among some politicos, it was Dodge’s commercial that used audio from the late conservative radio broadcaster Paul Harvey.
The ad, which was an antidote to the more high-tech commercials aired during Sunday’s broadcast, featured clips from a speech Harvey gave in 1978 as a tribute to U.S. farmers.
The ad opened with this passage: “And on the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, ‘I need a caretaker.’ So God made a farmer. God said, ‘I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the field, milk cows again, eat supper, then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board.’ So God made a farmer.”
TIME columnist James Poniewozik: “Among the SB ads I didn’t review: loved the Paul Harvey Ram ad in spite of myself. Almost Johnny Cash-like raw Americana wordpower”
Hotline’s Tim Alberta: “Dodge Ram spot, narrated by Paul Harvey, stole the show tonight. Room went silent. Reminiscent of Chrysler 2011.”
Slate’s John Dickerson: “Awesome RT @MattMackowiak Here is the Dodge Ram “American Farmer” ad, featuring Paul Harvey — http://youtu.be/AMpZ0TGjbWE #adbowl #sb47”
The Drudge Report’s Matt Drudge: “ANOTHER beautiful ad Paul Harvey, DODGE ‘So God made a farmer’… Madison Avenue giving the children night off”
Institute for Policy Innovation’s Tom Giovanetti: “Wow, Dodge, Ram, Farmer, Paul Harvey. Just wow.”
Michelle Malkin: “LOVED. RT @TwitchyTeam Paul Harvey wins: Super Bowl ad tribute to farmers earns praise, nostalgia http://bit.ly/YvMceE”
CNN’s John King: “No sir. Good day! ‘@edlavaCNN: Is there a better voice than Paul Harvey’s? #GodMadeAFarmer’”
POLITICO’s Roger Simon: “Paul Harvey wins the ‘best voice-over by someone not actually alive award’ for that terrific farmer ad.”
Radio host Laura Ingraham: “Beautiful. Paul Harvey was a nat’l treasure. “@couerfidele: Also LOVE the #GodMadeAFarmer commercial by #DodgeRam” #radiogiant”
MSNBC’s Chris Jansing: “This is the first commercial that has blown me away. Stunning images in the “God made a farmer”/Paul Harvey commercial for Ram trucks - cj”
NPR’s Scott Simon: “I’m a city kid (knew Paul Harvey in Chicago, in fact), & tears are streaming over that “So God made a farmer” ad.”