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October 25th, 2011
04:25 PM ET

Tonight on AC360: Cain's Chief of Staff lights up in ad

In a recent campaign ad, Herman Cain's Chief of Staff, Mark Block,  explains why he believes "...that Herman Cain will put 'united' back in the United States of America..." Before the video cuts to a close up of Cain, Block does something unexpected: he lights a cigarette, takes a drag and exhales. What do you think about the ad? Anderson is discussing it with our political panel tonight; leave a comment below or tweet @AndersonCooper and @AC360 to join the conversation!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhm-22Q0PuM%5D
Filed under: 360° Radar • Raw Politics
soundoff (10 Responses)
  1. Richard

    Gail covered it. Let's light-up some smoking-outside-humor for our President? The CNN News Team would do some stronger "Keeping 'em honest' work if they actually presented any of the many Obama gafffes. In addition, CNN should look at itself for some contributions to its own 'Ridiculist". Obama has failed on most of his promises other than getting a Dog. Hopium, Earmarks (spelliing), a different Washinton, and Transparency have failed, but sadly we are still stuck with Democrats or Republicans, neither of which offer any real change. Oh yeah, where's our awesome President with getting a budget this term?????? Just more failure from the so-called Top throughout America. Lots of laws, no enforcement! Can't wait for the discussion on the Iranian plot – just more smoke and mirrors from the Government, but not a Government interested in America.

    October 26, 2011 at 12:28 am |
  2. peggy

    also–the guy is shaking his head "no" through the whole thing.
    it's weird.

    October 25, 2011 at 10:17 pm |
  3. Kerry in West Virginia

    Anderson and his guests dismissed, or perhaps just dissed, the ad too hastily. If you're someone who doesn't smoke and whose friends generally don't smoke, or if you're someone who eats trail mix and puts only light dressing on your salad, or if you exercise regularly and always, always wear your seat belt, but occasionally live dangerously by downing some cappuccino at a trendy coffee house ... then the Cain ad looks silly to you. But if you smoke, or if many of your friends and co-workers do, and if you work in construction or a factory rather than aty an office or in one of the more respected professions, or if you're more likely to be found watching pro wrestling on TV than listening to the News from Lake Wobegon on radio, maybe the ad says something. Maybe it says that Herman Cain isn't elitist, that he doesn't look down on people like you and thinks that your opinion and your vote count just as much as the opinions and votes of the people who believe that smoking is so very low-class. And if your purpose is to light a political fire in the hearts of traditional, blue collar conservatives, maybe placing a cigarette at the end of the ad is smarter than it seems. I'm not a smoker, never have been, and I absolutely hate being around cigarettes, but I try not to judge people's motives according to my own experiences and preferences, and I'm not so removed from the working class world that I can't recognize that this ad might play very, very well in a smoky country music bar packed with angry, frustrated Republicans ... or Reagan Democrats, for that matter.

    October 25, 2011 at 9:05 pm |
  4. Patricia

    Say what you want about this ad, but I am SO TIRED of pompous talking heads referring to Cain as someone who recently has been selling pizzas.

    He is the former Chairman of the Federal Reserve and CEO of Godfather's pizza. Take him on over his policies, but show some class and keep your personal slurs to yourself...

    October 25, 2011 at 8:53 pm |
  5. calichef

    Holy smokes, Batman!

    October 25, 2011 at 7:31 pm |
  6. No way to treat a man

    This ad is nothing more than a ploy – to get people talking about something OTHER THAN that wack 9-9-9 plan. Don't let this man fool you. He is a lightweight. For a non-politician, he has the politician's act down: Tell people what they want to hear, and when anyone asks you hard questions, deflect them with nonsense.

    October 25, 2011 at 7:20 pm |
  7. gizmo1125

    I like the commericial. Luv the big smile at the end. You got have alittle sense of humor in this mad mad world. I don't understand why Rick Perry gets so much media coverage when he is in single digits in the polls, but Herman Cain is way up in the polls, beating Mitt Romney in a new CBS poll, but he gets very little media coverage. I feel like the media is pushing the candidate that they want to see win. Its not right.

    October 25, 2011 at 6:51 pm |
  8. chaski

    Is it possible that Cain really doesn't want to be president at all? This was just a career move in order to gain notoriety on the motivational circuit. Maybe he was worried about his high poll numbers and is self-destructing the campaign. Being president requires a degree of seriousness that would probably be way too much for him.

    October 25, 2011 at 6:41 pm |
  9. Tim Gibson

    Herman Cain is not unlike any other political figure. In fact he is right up there with Biden on smarts. But put the united back in The United States, he must be hooked on crack.

    October 25, 2011 at 4:48 pm |
  10. G ail Moore

    I think the new Herman Cain "cigarette" ad might be a take off on the fact that President Obama is a smoker...or was when he ran for President. I don't know for sure if he really quit or not to date. Perhaps a symbol of Obama...:Up in smoke"...Just a thought.

    October 25, 2011 at 4:41 pm |
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