A couple weeks ago, I wrote that Herman Cain's rise in the polls would be a flash in the pan, over before the primaries would even start. I may just be wrong. Cain's poll numbers remain strong, and he's gaining himself an army of supporters and detractors alike. In a time Cain appeared strong, he released this campaign ad, which says little about anything substantial and then cuts away with Cain's campaign advisor smoking a cigarette and Cain giving a creepy smile. This raises a lot more questions than answers for the Cain campaign.
In an article on CBSNews.com, Cain says he had no hidden message in the ad and that it was just "Herman Being Herman." Numerous spoofs have already surfaced, including one by Jon Huntsman's daughters and another one (which I find quite funny) that features a Godfather's Pizza employee smoking marijuana.
In the media, one can't help but think that Herman Cain damaged his reputation with this new ad. With people already doubting the Cain's legitimacy as a candidate, this can only fuel speculation that he doesn't really know how to run a campaign. Liberal pundit Keith Olbermann has already named Cain his "Worst Person in the World" multiple times, and his 999 Plan has come under intense scrutiny. MSNBC has also been highly critical of Cain for his comments on foreign policy, Muslims, his electrified fence plan, and his criticism of the "Occupy Wall Street" protests.
In a Reuters article linked here, Republicans polled were divided between liking or loving the ad and hating it. When your own party is only halfway behind it, there may be a problem. I don't really have a problem with the smoking in the commercial as much as the general pointlessnes of it. Nothing new or important is really said other than that Herman Cain is "unlike any candidate we've ever seen." Well, with this perpelexing ad, his campaign advisor just may be right with the bold statement.
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