Gary Johnson is running for President as a Libertarian. The raison d’etre for his campaign is marijuana legalization. Good for him — but good luck. That probably ranks near the bottom of issues important to Americans as the federal debt spirals entirely out of control and millions are out of work.
Last night, amazing amateurism came across my television screen in the form of a Gary Johnson advertisementhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYfsyWfIaeM
The ad looks like a high-school project. It shows costumed characters in a black and white setting doing something sinister and dastardly. One speaks in German. Rule 101 of political ads: use English. One character has a bib with a donkey. We barely get to see the other’s bib. The amateur becomes comedy when the pair remove a sheet to reveal a shaking man in a costume which combines the features of an elephant and donkey. The pair cackle through the end of the video, laughing at their own joke like potheads watching reruns of H.R. Puffenstuff at 2 a.m. as smoke wafts across the set.
Where to begin? I suppose if your campaign is centered on pot legalization, this is a good strategy. Otherwise, it has got to be the dumbest political ad, ever. The audio is awful. The reveal is clownlike. But worst of all, a dwindling number of people in this polarized country think there is no difference between the ideas of the two major parties. Liberty is a good thing. But this year, the Libertarian Party seems less relevant than ever before, no thanks to silly ads produced by minor leaguers.
P.S. If the producers of this ad want to contact me and tell me why this ad is brilliant, I’ll print it all.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member