Herman Cain, a Republican candidate for President, just released an ad that politicizes the 9/11 tragedy, and exploits the deaths of thousands of people at the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon, and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Cain’s campaign ad may go down in history as the most-offensive, most-tone-deaf, and worst idea in presidential campaign ads ever. (If you are not offended by this ad, you should get down on your hands and knees and search for your humanity because obviously it got lost somewhere.) In many ways, this ad is the historic LBJ “Daisy” ad, but in reverse.
The two minute ad (below), opens with Herman Cain singing “God Bless America,” and a waving, tattered American flag. The remaining images are iconic CNN newsreel footage, with audio, of the two planes slamming into the World Trade Center towers on 9/11, and news reports — including reporters’ voices — describing the terror attacks, followed by, again, iconic images of post-9/11 grieving, signs, people screaming, “Oh my God!,” images of the Pentagon after the plane hit it, a little girl kneeling in front of a stuffed animal propped up against a wall plastered with photos of the missing, a sign that reads: “Please find my Daddy,” a man standing in front of a fence with thousands of photos, his hand raised to cover his head in astonishment, and so on, and so on, and so on.
If there ever were a moment in time that someone desperately needed to be told, “No!,” this would have been it.
On September 7, 1964, Lyndon Johnson (LBJ) ran the famous “Daisy” campaign ad. It was so controversial, it ran only once. It was decades before the age of the Internet or YouTube, so the number of people who saw it was relatively small, and the Johnson campaign was in some circles excoriated for the use of a threat of the possibility of nuclear war, but the message was different.
In Cain’s ad, Cain positions himself as a savior, who presumably was there on 9/11 to pick up the pieces and mend America. A role Giuliani and Bush chose, however falsely.
But on September 11, 2001, Herman Cain was not a political leader. He did not step up to the plate to save America. In 2001, Herman Cain was a retired CEO and small-time political pundit in Atlanta who sat on a few corporate boards of directors.
So the idea that Cain would position himself as a savior, or as someone who rescued America, hell, that Cain would dare associate 9/11 with himself and his campaign flies in the face of anything decent. And that he would sing, “God Bless America,” with images of one of our nation’s most-tragic events, is beyond the pale.
Salon’s Alex Pareene calls the ad a “monstrosity,” and adds, “I guess Cain can now brag that he’s a former pizza magnate and crass exploiter of tragedies for political gain.” Chris Moody at The Ticket at Yahoo News adds, “A campaign spokeswoman said Cain recorded the song in one take.”
Like many millions, I was in Manhattan on 9/11. I fought to go downtown that day, because I had a business to run and I had people there. I didn’t know what to do, and I did a lot of things wrong that day, but I was there, doing my best. I’m not bragging, I have no reason to. And neither does Herman Cain.
Shame on you Mr. Cain. Shame.
{ 7 comments }
Where in this video does Cain appear, insinuate that he was on the scene as a "savior" or act as though his thoughts and/or policies could have prevented this awful tragedy? I advise anyone who visits this story to first view the video and then read the piece prepared by David Badash. If you do it in that sequence you will really wonder what the hell Mr. Badash saw because he isnt describing this tribute video. I guess what they say is true, liberals hate black conservatives more than white conservatives and will go out of their way to attack black conservatives harder because liberals feel entitled to control the minds of blacks in this country. Mr. Badash, you sir should be ashamed of yourself for blowing this perfectly appropriate tribute video into something that it is not and something it wasnt meant to be.
" I guess what they say is true, liberals hate black conservatives more than white conservatives and will go out of their way to attack black conservatives harder because liberals feel entitled to control the minds of blacks in this country." Just who are they?
And where is your evidence to back up your claim? As for the video it is repulsive. Why would you put people through all the graphic violence again? People have seen it over and over again. Or is it a tribute to the graphic violence and not to those who lost their lives?
I took this as what it is intended – a reminder that we must never forget 9/11. I don't think this was so bad, personally.
There might not be any overt claim of "I, Herman Cain, was a hero that day," but it is a cynical use of file footage to wear one's patriotism on his sleeve.
Obama's speech was quoted in many sources as being 'emotional', there were some points in this 'tribute' that were also 'emotional'… so perhaps Obama's speech was disgusting too? Or is it OK, because you are a dangerously radical Marxist, and Obama isn't a Republican? But you know what REALLY pisses me off – if Obama had done the same thing, you would have been saying "check out this fantastic tribute that brings a tear to your eye"! It probably cost a packet to have aired that 'tribute', and OK, it has his 'signature bit' at the end, but it doesn't say he would have prevented it, or 'vote for' anywhere… it was purely a tribute and should be seen as such.
You won't agree with me, because you are a 'radical' who has already had his mind of reason blackened by some unfortunate childhood event, an inability to do something that the 'majority' don't see as reasonable, a HUGE chip on your shoulder, an axe to grind or perhaps just have such a huge sense of self serving that you park in the disabled spaces outside the gym, and won't vote if it rains… maybe it is all of the above? Oh, wait, I have never met you – how dare I say such assumed things…? I have greater evidence here, that you are a disturbingly radical, and I quote; "Enact Hate Crimes – NOW", leftist than you have to presume of Cain trying to 'label himself a saviour', so I would move out of the glass house if I were you, before you start throwing stones.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Do you feel better now?
I just thought a member of 'rational society', needed to have an equal say about this radical rant.
Comments on this entry are closed.
{ 3 trackbacks }