Most Craptastic Political Commercial Ever
Cidu Bill on Feb 4th 2010
Seriously, if I lived in California, I’d be voting for Campbell rather than for any candidate who would approve this message.
Filed in Bill Bickel, California, Tom Campbell, YouTube, politics | 55 responses so far
Rumpelstiltskin Feb 4th 2010 at 04:43 pm 1
Yup. Wackos on the left of us, wackos on the right us, into the valley of bizarre politicos rides the California electorate. Sorry. That was a bit strained, but the best I could come up with.
Cidu Bill Feb 4th 2010 at 04:56 pm 2
You know, if you watch this with the sound off, it looks like some weird early-80s video. Something like Total Eclipse of the Sheep.
Elyrest Feb 4th 2010 at 05:25 pm 3
Where would an ad like this play? Having lived in California I never saw any ads this long on TV. All the ones I ever saw were short , 15-30 seconds for the most part.
And yeah, it’s a bunch of hooey.
WhitneyD Feb 4th 2010 at 05:26 pm 4
I can’t stop laughing. Living in California, there’s barely a time where political ads aren’t running… but man, never have I seen anything so hilariously bad. The sheep on the pedestal getting knocked off by lightning? The guy in the sheep costume? Whoever approved that ad must have been on drugs.
(And the fact that they never actually showed their candidate in the ad is just weird)
Sari Everna Feb 4th 2010 at 05:32 pm 5
Look, sheep!
Seriously though, without the sheep this ad would have been much less painful and weird. Also shorter. And more coherent. Long story short, it’s all the sheep’s fault.
Ted in Fort Lauderdale Feb 4th 2010 at 05:42 pm 6
And even funnier considering Carly almost drove HP into the ground, and was fired for (fiscal) incompetence…
Lord Jubjub Feb 4th 2010 at 05:44 pm 7
Has this ad actually aired? or is it just released to youtube and pointed out to news agencies and bloggers who spread its message around?
Sal Feb 4th 2010 at 06:05 pm 8
alls fair in Love , War and Politics. Just glad I don’t live in California.
igeek Feb 4th 2010 at 06:07 pm 9
Yes she’s accomplished a lot in life. Like nearly destroying HP.
Hurt Locker Feb 4th 2010 at 06:17 pm 10
Hot God. That’s amazing.
(1) Now I’m curious; how many ways to fall are there? I thought there was only one.
(2) Needs more AVE SATANI!
(3) Carly’s currently refusing to debate her opponents. This is because she assumes her wealth has already bought her the office. Also because (wait for it) she’s never bothered to vote in a California election. And doesn’t care to discuss it.
(4) If you have huge deficits but don’t want to raise taxes, you have one option: budget slashing. Too bad education, public works, and social services have already been slashed to the point that California’s on the verge of coming apart at the seams (California: the Pothole State!); you can’t cut teacher pay yet again and expect them NOT to move on to something more rewarding, like the counter at Taco Bell.
That is something else Carly doesn’t care to discuss…so that leaves her with attack ads.
And this one is…it’s beautiful. Thank you, Carly. I’ll remember this long after you’re forgotten.
Rumpelstiltskin Feb 4th 2010 at 06:37 pm 11
@ Lord Jubjub
It was posted on You Tube as an attack. I think I have enough faith (perhaps misplaced) in our major media that none would have accepted it. Airing it in prime time could undue years of high school civics. (Do they even teach civics any more?)
Hurt Locker Feb 4th 2010 at 06:50 pm 12
Ah, sorry, I don’t know if CARLY’s refusing to debate; I confused her with “NutMeg” Whitman for a second. The rest of #10 stands.
buzz Feb 4th 2010 at 07:01 pm 13
Huh? I thot the legalizing grass measure was on the fall ballot. Does this ad mean it’s already passed?
paperboy Feb 4th 2010 at 07:15 pm 14
So much for the idea that Big Money will take over the media with irresistible ads for their candidates.
Winter Wallaby Feb 4th 2010 at 08:05 pm 15
Wow, this looks like a fake ad that you’d see on Saturday Night Live, or the Onion.
CIDU Bill Feb 4th 2010 at 09:25 pm 16
It did occur to me that Campbell’s people might have produced this ad to make Carly look like a whack-job — but I’ve seen New Jersey political commercials that weren’t a whole lot better.
CIDU Bill Feb 4th 2010 at 09:28 pm 17
And more importantly, nobody from Carly’s campaign has come forward to say “This isn’t really one of ours.”
zbicyclist Feb 4th 2010 at 09:56 pm 18
I love the little touches — the orange fake tan at about 1:59, the red glow in the eyes, the lightning.
Nate Feb 4th 2010 at 11:39 pm 19
Soooo. . .
Carly thinks that Fiscal Conservatives are sheep?
Hurt Locker Feb 5th 2010 at 12:07 am 20
You mean they aren’t?
“TAX CUTS FOR DA WEALTHY PRODUCE JOBS!!”
(eight years later)
“Uh, that didn’t work. What else ya got?”
“TAX CUTS FOR DA WEALTHY PRODUCE JHAAAAAAAAABS!!!!”
rewinn Feb 5th 2010 at 12:27 am 21
Seriously, I wish Fiorino would get the nom, since Boxer’s rejoinder to every attack would be to reprint HP’s balance sheet.
Chuck Feb 5th 2010 at 03:49 am 22
I think I’m going to have nightmares about Mansheep.
Annie Benson Feb 5th 2010 at 04:32 am 23
I guess I’m going to have to go against the crowd here, but I loved that commercial. Going to run a smear campain? Then do it right and run it right into the ground at warp speed! Don’t be boring! Make it so your viewers can’t look away anymore than they can drive past a five car pile up with multiple fatalities without rubber necking! Make it so over the top that your opponent can’t form a coherant reply to it because their jaw dislocated from opening so wide from the shock and awe!
Oh yes. If I ever run for public office, all of my commercials are going to be *just as good as this one*!
Powers Feb 5th 2010 at 06:49 am 24
@Nate #19: I was thinking the same thing. The thing is, to the religious right, being called a “sheep” is a good thing, so maybe she’s just playing to the base.
Dyfsunctional Feb 5th 2010 at 07:28 am 25
This may be a lot more clever than it looks. Since this is a Youtube video and not a broadcast commercial, the makers would hope that it would go viral, like “Chocolate Rain” or “Star Wars Kid.” If they made it goofy enough (they did) it would spread to other sites (it has), where people would comment/make fun of it (we are). Thus, a lot more people are seeing the video than if they had played it straight.
Hurt Locker Feb 5th 2010 at 07:46 am 26
Perhaps, Dyfsunctional–but there’s still a massive difference between a Failblog nut shot and an effective political commercial. And this wouldn’t be the first time a botched campaign ad became massively popular, yet reduced the subject candidate to a complete laughingstock.
Sure, Carly’s sheeple are hamming it up now–ZOMG DIS IS BRILLIANT WERK I WAS SEERIUSLY GONA BOTE FOR THE UTHER GUY BUT NAOW I AM CARLY ALL TEH WAY TO TEH WAITE HAUS GO CARLIE GO–but a week from now they’ll be trying to change the subject, and everyone else will still be snickering.
Nicole Feb 5th 2010 at 07:51 am 27
LOL — I haven’t read all the comments here … so forgive me if I repeat.
If I didn’t know this was a real ad, I would have sworn it was a parody. I litteraly was laughing out loud.
Oh, if nothing else the wolf in sheep’s clothing segment is sure to capture the FURRY vote
Still LOLing
Carl Feb 5th 2010 at 08:40 am 28
What makes you think it’s from Carly Fiorina’s campaign, or that she is even aware of it? I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a third-party PAC.
Morris Keesan Feb 5th 2010 at 08:51 am 29
Re: Bill’s comment at the very top: it’s clear to me that the candidate DIDN’T approve the message, otherwise there would be the standard “My name is … and I approve this message” boilerplate voiceover at the end.
Nicole Feb 5th 2010 at 09:13 am 30
Morris Keesan #29
I am not so sure that law applies to internet ads.
Soup Dragon Feb 5th 2010 at 09:18 am 31
http://demonsheep.org/
“Total Eclipse of the Sheep” , now that’s a band name I’d like to see.
Carl Feb 5th 2010 at 09:37 am 32
Yeah, the candidate would only have to formally approve if this mess were broadcast.
Molly J Feb 5th 2010 at 10:02 am 33
I was chuckling until the moment they show the guy in the sheep costume from the back, crawling around on his hands and knees. Then I hooted!
This is so, so funny. Best laugh I’ve had in days.
Elyrest Feb 5th 2010 at 10:52 am 34
It’s definitely a Carly Fiorina campaign ad. The San Francisco Chronicle had a big article on it today.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/05/MNQA1BSNJG.DTL
John DiFool Feb 5th 2010 at 11:11 am 35
More like “Dirty Deeds, Done With Sheep.”
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCRE9qOgbug[/url]
Ted in Fort Lauderdale Feb 5th 2010 at 11:27 am 36
Morris Keesan #29 - and it ends with a “Paid for by Carly for California”.
The official Carly web site now includes the ad (transcript only) at
http://carlyforcalifornia.com/2010/02/video-release-tom-campbell-exposed-as-a-fcino-fiscal-conservative-in-name-only/
(or http://tinyurl.com/yheaeop)
along with a whole web site (www.fcino.com) featuring the ad (and also explicitly paid for by the Carly campaign). Not only is it real, but they are pushing it…
Kit Feb 5th 2010 at 12:17 pm 37
So . . . wtf does piety have to do with fiscal conservatism?
CIDU Bill Feb 5th 2010 at 12:22 pm 38
Carl, I think it’s highly unlikeely at this point that Carly’s campain is unaware of this video
CIDU Bill Feb 5th 2010 at 12:24 pm 39
I read an article last night in which they referred to this as “Carly’s ‘Dukakis-in-a-tank’ moment.”
Scott Feb 5th 2010 at 12:41 pm 40
Not only is the campaign aware of it, they are defending it, since it got lots of views.
In the paper today they mentioned two things. One, a consultant said this should be viewed with the sound off and “Dark Side of the Moon” playing. Second, the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee has started a petition asking for more Carly ads, preferably with farm animals.
BTW, those in the computer biz have noticed that Carly has never found another job since getting booted from HP. She was a McCain adviser, and got fired from that job for shooting off her mouth. And over at the Register a commenter wondered how Carly will be able to figure out a way of firing California residents, since that seems to be her fiscal policy.
David in NYC Feb 5th 2010 at 03:28 pm 41
So, let’s summarize:
Deficits = bad
Raising taxes to close deficits = bad
bitching about both simultaneously while making no effort to even propose another solution = good
And “Carly for California”? Is she hoping that people will confuse her with Carly Simon?
If I didn’t already know, I would now know why HP fired Carly’s ass.
Kate C Feb 5th 2010 at 06:57 pm 42
I thought, politically, being a sheep was a bad thing.
I swear the voiceover guy has just a hint of a Brooklyn accent. Anyone else hear it?
Annie Benson Feb 5th 2010 at 09:11 pm 43
Re: Kate C #42,
I thought he sounded more like Dennis Haybert, the Allstate insurance spokesperson. So much so that I really wonder if it is him. Judge for yourself!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_0hXmrClC0&feature=PlayList&p=BA4BD2C4C0B1F94C&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=6
Carl Feb 6th 2010 at 10:35 am 44
Here’s a much shorter one from New Orleans, as seen on OverLawyered: http://overlawyered.com/2010/02/new-orleans-coroners-race-ad/
Central Ave Feb 6th 2010 at 10:57 am 45
Ok, I literally laughed out loud at 2:28: “He’s a FCINO (Fiscal-Conservative-In-Name-Only)”.
Also, why would you go with “Carly for California” and miss the obvious wordplay in “Carly Fiorina for California.” (Even if it’s not pronounced how I think it is, it still looks wordplay-ish.)
zbicyclist Feb 6th 2010 at 11:33 am 46
@Central Ave: Didn’t CFC’s get banned as an environmental hazard?
arvy Feb 6th 2010 at 01:43 pm 47
A hint of a Brooklyn accent???
“Who would remembuh that as the Guhvanuh’s chief budget officuh…”
This v/o announcer has the worst articulation I have ever heard outside of those commercials where a regional dialect is intentional.
This looks and sounds like a rough cut that an ad agency would use to pitch an idea to a client before producing the real ad.
arvy Feb 6th 2010 at 01:46 pm 48
Central Ave - I’m totally with you. With just a touch of manipulation, I bet you could even make the current governor’s pronunciation of the state’s name sound exactly like Carl-i Fior-nia.
arvy Feb 6th 2010 at 01:58 pm 49
Sorry for three separate posts in a row, but it seemed to make more sense this way.
The posts here seem to provide plenty of evidence that Bill’s title is spot-on, although I’ll add one more: How about the phrase “…literally set the stage for the recent decline of California?” Leaving aside the mis-use of the word literally, this is unbelievably weak - especially in comparison to the overall tonality. Oh no - he set the stage! For a decline! Horrible! How about, “led directly to our current fiscal catastrophe” or something with some teeth?
All this raises an interesting question… Are these people really this clueless in thinking that this ad can do anything at all? Are they caught in a feedback loop wherein they’re getting responses from their own supporters telling them how great the ad is without realizing that it’s the other people they need to sell?
Or are we on this forum grossly overestimating the intelligence of the average Californian?
Winter Wallaby Feb 6th 2010 at 09:36 pm 50
Actually, I begin to wonder if this ridiculous ad is such a bad political move. People are talking about it, it’s getting lots of free advertising, and Carly got me to watch a three minute long commercial. And while viewers might think that Carly makes weird, even deranged commercials, it’s likely to stick in their heads that Campell isn’t really a fiscal conservative (according to the commercial, I have no idea about in reality). An annoying or ridiculous commerical can still be effective. (I never call collect, and I still remember those horrible Carrot Top commericals: 1-800-CALL-ATT.)
Cidu Bill Feb 6th 2010 at 10:05 pm 51
The difference is, Winter, if 1-800-CALL-ATT saved you money, you’d be happy to overlook the fact that they chose Carrot Top to be their spokesperson. In fact, all that’s really important is that they get your attention.
After all, Crazy Eddie might have been crazy, but if his prices were lowest, that’s all that mattered.
In this case, though, you’re electing a person to represent your interests in the U.S. Senate. You’re not going to vote for somebody you already know is a lunatic.
Nicole Feb 6th 2010 at 11:35 pm 52
CIDU Bill # 51 — you get the geezer award for referencing Crazy Eddie — I get one for knowing the reference
Cidu Bill Feb 6th 2010 at 11:41 pm 53
And for everybody else:
Winter Wallaby Feb 7th 2010 at 12:02 am 54
Bill, I’m not going to vote for anyone, since I’m not a California Republican. But there’s some question in my mind whether Republican primary voters will be more unhappy at someone they “already know is a lunatic” or someone who might not be a fiscal conservative (which in this context, means someone who might raise their taxes).
To keep things tied into comics: here’s an ad for Crazy Morty’s
Elyrest Feb 9th 2010 at 04:47 pm 55
I saw this bumper sticker in a column today and I thought it was perfect.
“Don’t Carlyfiornicate California.”