BagNews Archives About Staff BagNews is a progressive site dedicated to visual politics and the analysis of news images.
Saturday, May 18, 2013

Twitter

@bagnewsnotes »
Advertisement

October 25, 2011

Our Take on the Herman Cain Smokin’ Video

By Karen Donley

Image003

1. If 20.3 million folks smoke and some of them are Tea Partiers, they and some Libertarians might vote for the pizza guy. It’s the ultimate niche marketing.

…Which is what this GOP race is mostly about, anyway: the book deal and cable commentating future.

2. ‘I smoke, I smoke that focker down to the filter, I blow it in your face muthafocking government.’ …He’s Cain’s alter ego.

3. Sarah’s not gone completely. It’s the best Campaign 2012 move, so far, capturing that “pitbull in lipstick” state- of-mind.

– Karen Hull

(Video: Now is the time for action! via thehermancainc)

« Prev

Next »

  • Anonymous

    Shot against the scenic backdrop of some wall someplace, featuring a salaried employee apparently on his break, the subtext of this commercial speaks eloquently to Mr Cain’s sincerity and commitment. “Paid for by Friends of Herman Cain, Inc.” — both of them, David and Charles.

    Key word: Inc.

    • Towner

      Indeed. And then, what this screen capture misses is Cain staring directly at the camera for a long 8-9 seconds, performing a kind of insider knowledge smirk. It concludes with a half chuckle and a grin, like when the Devil acknowledges that, “your soul (and wallet) is mine chump.”

    • Towner

      Indeed. And then, what this screen capture misses is Cain staring directly at the camera for a long 8-9 seconds, performing a kind of insider knowledge smirk. It concludes with a half chuckle and a grin, like when the Devil acknowledges that, “your soul (and wallet) is mine chump.”

  • bks

    We’re talking Herman Cain, cancer survivor.

        –bks

  • Wpgforks

    An in your face “Cain is bad…I know he is bad…but that is what we need right now” advert.

  • Anonymous

    That cigarette looks hand-rolled. Maybe the subtext is: We’ll legalize marijuana…

  • Phil Hurrle

    Why was the puffing inserted as a separate clip? The scraggly mustache perverts me more than the smoke. EEEuuuuwwww!!!

  • Enoch Root

    I will tell you why there is a sequence of a guy smoking in this made-for-Youtube political ad:

    So you will talk about.

    • bks

      I can’t wait for the day that Cain decides that he really can win.   Then things will get Palin-level weird.  Too bad this is a serious matter, otherwise the spetacle would be quite entertaininig.

          –bks
       

  • glenn

    So who’s he going for here? The “losers outside smoking on their break” voting bloc?

  • glenn

    So who’s he going for here? The “losers outside smoking on their break” voting bloc?

  • Thomas

    Karen I think you’re right on about Cain tuning into Palin’s frequency. The ad is amateurish and boorish, but clearly has its signal set to the GOP’s genetic core of anti-intellectual belligerence, an impulse so strong that it elevated and sustained Palin—an obvious incompetent— or years.

    The Republicans may have found their man here. If he keeps turning out this sort of divisive, insulting nonsense, he’s going to run away with their nomination.

  • Matt

    first impression:

    reminds me of the cigarette smoking man from the x-files.

  • Gasho

    The comments here have explained this ad better than any other source.

    Gritty, FU PC-World attitude
    What a “regular guy” would say on his smoke break
    .. and that hand-rolled, legalization subliminal angle is brilliant!!

Recent Comments

Popular Topics

More topics »

Popular Entries


Archives

Recent Entries