Rate that Ad

By David Kaiser, Editor

Filed Under Race for White House 2012, Rate that Ad on Oct 25 

Wow.

That’s all I have to say.

Wow.

I’d like the Cain folks on here to ‘splain this one to me, because I just don’t get it.

Perhaps he was a fan of this Mike Gravel ad from 2008?

Comments

  • http://www.sotr.us Cordeiro

    I’d love to have a transcript of the meeting that green-lit this ad.

    • AWB

      Me too, Cordeiro! :-) Wow!!!

  • dw

    Let me get this straight… Many Cain supporters are jumping off the train, not because they don’t like Cain’s platform, not because Cain has changed his platform, not because he’s gone to the liberal dark side and not because any other candidate has stepped up and presented themselves with a better platform, but because of one stupid ad?
    .
    Nope, not me. Cain is still the same man he was when I decided to support him. And, unless he really changes, I see no reason to jump off this train.

    • Rob

      Yeah, it should just shows how easily swayed most of the voters are and how little conviction most people (even on here) actually have. For me, Cain’s inability to answer simple questions correctly without double speak is his biggest problem, not a stupid ad.

    • Alaina Segovia

      The ad was the final straw. I don’t mind that Cain makes a few missteps here and there, but it’s something every couple of days.
      .
      I can also forgive him for having a lack of experience in certain areas if he surrounds himself with the right people, but I’ve seriously been questioning that lately. This ad moved me from seriously questioning to doubtful.
      .
      Newt is the only other option as far as I’m concerned. However, I may be back to Cain after I take a good look at his platform. I dont know. I just don’t feel good about anyone.

  • Chris

    did anyone ever work out what that Mike Gravel ad was all about?

    We still have another couple of months of this, should be fun

  • Edgar Harris

    It’s time for everyone here to admit it. Mitt Romney is the only candidate you guys have. Lucky for you he’s actually pretty decent. I’m not saying I’m going to vote for him or anything, but I haven’t ruled out voting for him either. The rest of the rabble running in the GOP primary are all jokes. Not a single one of them has what it takes to run a decent campaign, let alone run for President in 2012.

    • Alaina Segovia

      Romney? Decent? Really?

    • Gary Russell

      So, you’re saying that you would have a tough time deciding between Obama and Romney?

      • Edgar Harris

        I know. Heaven forbid I should research out the candidates. Honestly I’m merely pointing out that I’m willing to look into Romney after this charade of a primary is over. Right now Romney is trying to appeal to the most radical wing of the Republican party. If I wasn’t willing to examine Romney after the primary I would just vote for Obama.

        • Gary Russell

          LIttle touchy, aren’t you, Edgar?
          I didn’t suggest that you shouldn’t “research out the candidates” (whatever that means)…
          Simply amazed that someone exists who would have a hard time choosing between Obama and Romney.

    • QPC

      So you are debating between the path to complete Socialism and the Republican candidate?

      • Edgar Harris

        Honestly the hyperbole has gotten old. Obama isn’t a Socialist. He hasn’t promoted a single Socialist item. Even his health care bill (which borrows heavily from Republican ideas) isn’t Socialism as it continues to be built off of private insurance. Some of you Conservatives have become so radicalized that you see any sort of Government involvement as Socialism. Conservative rhetoric is starting to have an ugly late 1940′s ring to it. The truth is there is a significant gap between a laissez-faire economy and a Socialist one. Oh and both Socialism and laissez-faire have been historic failures.

        • http://www.politicalderby.com/ Jason Wright, Editor

          You’re on the wrong thread. Let’s keep this back on the ad. This is why we opened an “open thread” for the day.

          • Edgar Harris

            Fair enough, but in my defense I don’t think I was the one that took out off topic.

  • Gary Russell

    Boy, I don’t tune in to PD for a day, and everything goes crazy.

    OK…
    I supported Sanford – nope, goes “hiking”.
    I supported Pence – nope, won’t run.
    I supported Bachmann – nope, … just, nope.
    I supported Christie – nope, won’t run.
    I supported Perry – nope, can’t debate.
    I supported Cain – nope, too amatuerish.

    Is it too much to ask for a decent conservative to run for Prez?

    • Alaina Segovia

      Wanna go with me to Camp Newt?

      • Gary Russell

        Yes, Alaina, it looks like that’s where I’m heading next, too.

  • Whodat

    I even saw the ad talked about on Fox news. It is not a fake. It is real. To me, it indicates that one more person I trusted has put their trust in idiots and scumbags. I leave the Cain camp and likely the PD forum for awhile. I need to focus on golf and anything else I can find worthy of believing in.

    • Brian H

      “Believe in America”

  • Brian H

    Truth be told. This ad screw-up is a one day story. However, what it does is provide fodder that Cain is not ready for prime time further intensifying the same narrative.

  • Brian H

    It is a “filler”. It is a filler until Cain’s next unforced error.

  • Troy La Mana

    My official comment: Meh

    A bit of a waste of money but I don’t see anything in the ad that would cause any flak, except for said smoking. Then again, I think everyone has a right to give themselves cancer if they want to.

    I think they just needed filler until the 50 state Limbaugh ads start.

    • Dodgers

      Filler? Please. Cain’s done. It’s one thing after another. He’s just not ready for prime time.

  • Rochelle

    I have to admit, I didn’t need the cigarette to know he was a smoker. The teeth got me right off the bat. But really, the message is completely lost in the end shot. He says wonderful things about Cain and then looks like a thug. I think they were trying for artsy gritty, but they got ewwwwww!

  • Brian H

    I like the side glance profile of Cain at the end with awe inspiring music. Nice touch.

  • http://www.politicalderby.com/ Jason Wright, Editor

    Maybe we should have seen the wacky smoking ad coming.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DrSEyjBj1w

    • http://scottslant.blogspot.com/ Scott A. Robinson

      And the battling videos begins.

    • David Kaiser, Editor

      This has the making of an epic thread :)

  • Rob

    LOL… this is pretty funny.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frzPQUKsV0o

    • Brian H

      Rob. I love you, man. That was funniest thing I have seen in quite a while. The Halloween music was classic funny.

    • Red State Eddie

      Five stars! especially the Hillary freak out at the end!

  • Dodgers

    Anyone else notice that someone is suspiciously absent from this discussion?

    • David Kaiser, Editor

      Oh! Oh! I know! I know!

      Someone put an APB out on one Troy la Mana!

    • QPC

      Who exactly are you looking for?

  • JE

    A fairly weak ad of little consequence. But i propose 3 possibilities:
    1. They are going after the smoker vote and knew a guy smoking in the ad would get them tons of free publicity (which it obviously has).
    2. Cain doesnt really want to win and all of this has been an attempt to sell his books and make money, but now that he is leading some polls he needs to implode the campaign without it looking intentional.
    3. This is supposed to be cutting edge/artsy…maybe he is trying to win the OWS crowd?

  • Alaina Segovia

    Ugh… if they had just left out the cigarette… I might have been able to spin it…

    • JE

      Seriously? If an ad/candidate is good or bad, a cigarette doesnt make the difference. If the cigarette put you over the top spinning your candidate, perhaps you should reconsider your support. “I supported him 100% until i found out his campaign manager smokes”.
      With republican thinking like that, Obama is closer to 4 more years than i thought.

      • Alaina Segovia

        There’s stupidity and then there’s stupidity with a nasty habit that is going to turn almost everyone off…
        .
        Maybe the message was okay, but the middle-aged guy that looks like he’s straight out of the ’70s is all anyone will remember… I can’t spin that.

  • Red State Eddie

    Heh, heh, heh. That was incredibly amatuerish. Had Hermain just called me, I could have scripted and shot a better commercial using my DSLR camera.
    .
    So is Herman pro-smoking???? ;-)
    .
    My guess – they wanted a man-on-the-street type of endorsement, only using a staff member. Taking a dramatic drag is just trying to get him to look cool, a la Peter Fonda & 1987.

  • Promise Kept

    I think Block is a fantastic spokesman for Cain. This gives us key insights into Cain’s campaign from the perspective of the man who urged Cain to run, and serves as the wind beneath his wings.

    It’s a great thing when a team is matched this well. Kinda’ reminds me of the Romney/Pawlenty power team. Keep ‘em coming, Mark. :-)

  • Brian H

    “We’ve run a campaign like none has ever seen.”. True-dat.
    .
    The number of unforced errors coming from Camp-Cain is endless,
    .
    It should be of great concern to anyone who recognizes the need to win in 2012. Cain and Perry are general election disasters. Newt has personal baggage but could hold his own in a general. Honestly, other Newt and Mitt the other candidates have me scared to death.
    .
    LOL. I thought the the toke on the stogie was the best part of the ad.

  • dw

    I like the message Mark Block is saying, but I really don’t get (actually dislike) the cigarette drag near the end.

  • Stephen

    Maybe Cain ticked him off and he thought he’d go out with a bang before he quit… sabotage from a disgruntled employee?

  • Stephen

    Wow.

  • Alaina Segovia

    Yeah… I can’t defend this one… I just hope Cain himself didn’t actually approve this…

    • David Kaiser, Editor

      Even if he didn’t approve it, this is his campaign manager, not some actor or intern.

      The only way I see Cain getting out of this is if Block says he did it on his own and resigns.

      Anything short of that, this is serious fodder for the other candidates.

      • Alaina Segovia

        Let’s hoope for that…

  • Whodat

    Excuse me. This is beyond explanation. What is the point of the deep drag on the fag by a rather hard looking white dude? What is the point of the soul sister’s singing? I do not believe this is Herman Cain’s ad. It is a spoof or an attack. Can’t be real.

    • David Kaiser, Editor

      Whodat, I’m sorry to tell you, but this ad is on his official YouTube page and that is his campaign manager. It’s real, barring some sort of bizarre hacking scenario.

      • Whodat

        Well, if it is real, then I have lost some friends in Georgia because I contacted the campaign and let them have it, telling them that a fake ad designed to confuse and discourage conservative white folks who are standing up for Cain is visible at politicalderby.com So, there goes my invitation to the innaugeration, but at this point, that party is in doubt!
        .
        So, I better look over the derby board again…

        • Alaina Segovia

          Newt may be our last hope if Cain doesn’t resolve this…

          • http://scottslant.blogspot.com/ Scott A. Robinson

            Perry isn’t done.

            But you’d better get used to Romney time.

            • Alaina Segovia

              I really hope Perry is done… I can’t decide who I loathe more… Perry or Romney.
              .
              Other than Cain, Newt is the only other one in the race that I would even consider voting for… and I have a bit of a struggle with that one.

  • http://scottslant.blogspot.com/ Scott A. Robinson

    The better question might be: “What was the thinking behind making this?”

    My theory is that the Cain camp realized Rick Perry might take some of Cain’s momentum today with the announcement of his economic plan. So Cain’s Chief of Staff said, “We need a new ad now! Grab a camera! I’ll talk! Make sure you capture salacious images of my smoking! All Americans love that!”

  • David Kaiser, Editor

    For those who think this may be a fake, here’s a story on the ad.

    And here’s a photo of Herman Cain and Mark Block, the man in the ad and Cain’s campaign manager.

  • Rob

    It’s a terrible ad.

    If Cain is above 15% nationally in 2 weeks, I will officially have given up on GOP voters. His entire campaign since his surge has been a disaster.

  • http://scottslant.blogspot.com/ Scott A. Robinson

    This can’t be serious. You’ve got the dirty weird spokesman, then he caps it off by taking a close-up drag from a cigarette? Unbelievable.