I don’t agree that this ad just speaks to his base.
I voted for Cain in the primary. He lost.
My mother lived in another state. She only heard of Cain because of me. She only paid attention to him because of what I had to say about him.
If I could forward this ad to my mother today, she would have sat up and listened. She would have then passed it on to her friends. I know that instinctively. This ad would have made her take a look to see who this man was. And after that look, she would have researched him and listened to him.
After that, she would have been informed about him. Then she could have decided whether or not to vote for him.
It could go be effective as a way of getting people to take that “first look”. Because I believe this ad has a “likeable” message to it, even if everyone here doesn’t agree.
I also believe the media will talk about this precisely because of the smoking. And if they’re talking about Cain he gets more exposure.
And should it get any kind of press and/or T.V. play, it WILL get mentioned that they guy is Cain's chief of staff. Of course someone's chief of staff is going to be singing the praises of whomever they are working for.
Perhaps it shall get attention; just don't be surprised if it's the WRONG kind of attention and THAT is also my point.
Political neophytes make mistakes;sadly Cain has made quite a lot of them.
Many of us ARE looking for the "unRomney".
I keep wishing that Cain would get better advisers and do what's needed to be that; sadly, he doesn't.