Mon
Oct 24 2011
10:56 pm
What is Herman Cain's Chief of Staff smoking, and why?
By: EricLykins

Mark Block here, and I'm going to awkwardly blow smoke at the camera while the "I am America" music kicks in.

Huh? I don't get it. Oh wait:

From 1996, when he left the pizza company, until 1999, Mr. Cain ran the National Restaurant Association, a once-sleepy trade group that he transformed into a lobbying powerhouse. He allied himself closely with cigarette makers fighting restaurant smoking bans, spoke out against lowering blood-alcohol limits as a way to prevent drunken driving, fought an increase in the minimum wage and opposed a patients’ bill of rights — all in keeping with the interests of the industry he represented.

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EricLykins's picture

I thought he looked familiar.

Submitted by EricLykins on Mon, 2011/10/24 - 11:28pm.

Smoking Man bio here.

The 2010 vote-caging scheme hardly marks Block's first game of dirty politics. In fact, his first day at Americans for Prosperity marked the expiration of a four-year ban on political campaign involvement imposed on him by a Wisconsin court for his illegal activity in a 2001 election.

R. Neal's picture

The even creepier thing about

Submitted by R. Neal on Tue, 2011/10/25 - 7:14am.

The even creepier thing about that ad is Cain's mocking smile at the end. He knows he's a joke. He knows you know he's a joke. His whole campaign is a joke.

EricLykins's picture

(No subject)

Submitted by EricLykins on Tue, 2011/10/25 - 9:42am.


Factchecker's picture

Speaking of shadowy figures

Submitted by Factchecker on Tue, 2011/10/25 - 8:22am.

Nice background too.

jah's picture

We run a campaign like no

Submitted by jah on Tue, 2011/10/25 - 9:42am.

We run a campaign like no one's ever seen ... because we're not really trying to get elected, and we spent $15 on this ad.

Dave Prince's picture

I thought "awkwardly blowing

Submitted by Dave Prince on Tue, 2011/10/25 - 10:02am.

I thought "awkwardly blowing smoke" was going to be a literal thing and we were going to see some more gems like this old reliable one from Mike Gravel.

EricLykins's picture

Well, that's obviously a

Submitted by EricLykins on Tue, 2011/10/25 - 10:37am.

Well, that's obviously a metaphor for the ripple of truth... or something. Block is literally blowing smoke at the camera, quite possibly within 50 feet of a hospital entrance. If that's a metaphor for anything, my best guess is this:

Maybe it appeals to the same voters that supported Curry Todd. I don't know.

agrarianurbanite's picture

&

Submitted by agrarianurbanite on Tue, 2011/10/25 - 11:27am.

Oh, nothing like a good laugh in the morning.

cooperhawk's picture

So you we shouldn't vote for

Submitted by cooperhawk on Tue, 2011/10/25 - 2:21pm.

So you we shouldn't vote for someone who smokes?

EricLykins's picture

I don't know if Herman Cain

Submitted by EricLykins on Tue, 2011/10/25 - 2:34pm.

I don't know if Herman Cain smokes or not. The shadowy figure lurking in the corner in the campaign ad isn't the one running.

Min's picture

Wow.

Submitted by Min on Tue, 2011/10/25 - 2:50pm.

That was really inspiring. In fact, I'm going to go right out and write a check...to Jon Huntsman's campaign.

EricLykins's picture

In other bizarre campaign ad

Submitted by EricLykins on Tue, 2011/10/25 - 2:58pm.

In other bizarre campaign ad news, Fear the Mustache. Or don't.

agrarianurbanite's picture

&

Submitted by agrarianurbanite on Tue, 2011/10/25 - 4:35pm.

a good laugh in the afternoon. Eric, you're killing me. I totally love this video and am posting on my other chats...

EricLykins's picture

Block responds The target

Submitted by EricLykins on Tue, 2011/10/25 - 3:21pm.

Block responds

The target audience for the ad is apparently people sitting in bars smoking. Block said, “I tell you, you walk into a veteran’s bar in Iowa and they’re sitting around smoking and you know we are resonating with them. I’m not the only one that smokes in America for God’s sake. It was a choice I made and it was at the end of the ad. The real message that we’re trying to get through was the Cain train is on a roll.”

R. Neal's picture

Flashback

Submitted by R. Neal on Tue, 2011/10/25 - 4:56pm.

(link...)

Factchecker's picture

If the Tea Party is your country

Submitted by Factchecker on Tue, 2011/10/25 - 7:43pm.

...a veteran’s bar in Iowa and they’re sitting around smoking...

So that's their demographic. Now it all makes perfect sense.

EricLykins's picture

Oh yeah? Figure out what this

Submitted by EricLykins on Thu, 2011/10/27 - 2:40am.

Oh yeah? Figure out what this Flavor Country gem is all about.

EricLykins's picture

Bad Lip Reading:

Submitted by EricLykins on Sat, 2011/10/29 - 11:05am.

Bad Lip Reading:

EricLykins's picture

Compare this Rick Perry

Submitted by EricLykins on Sun, 2011/10/30 - 11:31pm.

Compare this Rick Perry no-hitter with this Dock Ellis no-hitter:

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