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Friends of Herman Cain

"Now is the time for action!" +
  0:56 web video released Oct. 25, 2011.  (The YouTube date stamp on this ad is Oct. 19).

[Music: Krista Branch's "I am America"]

Mark Block: Mark Block here.  Since January, I've had the privilege of being the chief of staff to Herman Cain and the chief operating officer of the Friends of Herman Cain. 

Tomorrow, it's one day closer to the White House.

I really believe that Herman Cain will put United back in the United States of America, and if I didn't believe that, I wouldn't be here.

We've run a campaign like nobody's ever seen, but then America's never seen a candidate like Herman Cain. 

We need you to get involved, because together we can do this, we can take this country back.

[Music up]

Notes: Cain chief of staff Mark Block puffs on a cigarette.  Odd.  But this video went viral generating a huge amount of attention and over a million views in five days.  An initial report from CNN noted, "CNN confirmed Monday that the web video was not a hoax," while CBS's report was headlined, "Cain's bizarre new ad: Is it for real?"  Time magazine TV critic James Poniewozik described "Now is the time for action!" as "the early frontrunner for most insane ad of the GOP primary."  An article on the front page of the Washington Post's Style section noted, "Cain's viral ad has people wondering what it means."  Columnist Kathleen Parker wrote, "The ad was sheer, blinding brilliance..."  "The ad succeeded precisely because the sight of someone smoking in a political clip was so jolting," Parker wrote. 

Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert did a riff on the video.  He produced several of his own ads featuring supposed staffers; for example one showed a "staffer" taking a swig of Jack Daniels.  Conan O'Brien produced a couple of similar spots.  Jon Huntsman's daughters, the Jon2012girls, did a parody which garnered over 100,000 views within three days of launch.

In addition to the smoking aspect, many observers commented on the closing sequence in which Cain s-l-o-w-l-y (timed by Colbert at 8 seconds) breaks into a smile.

Rebecca Stewart and Kevin Bohn.  "Cain ad smoking' hot."  CNN (Politicalticker...).  Oct. 25, 2011.
James Poniewozik.  "Campaign Video: Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em for Herman Cain." Time. Oct. 25, 2011.
Paul Farhi.  "Mixed smoke signals."  Washington Post.  Oct. 27, 2011.
Kathleen Parker.  "More than blowing smoke."  Washington Post.  Oct. 30, 2011.