Posted on 10/29/2011 10:00:12 AM PDT by freespirited
While Herman Cain's viral Web ad — in which chief of staff Mark Block pointedly takes a drag from a cigarette after extolling the presidential candidate's virtues — might have raised eyebrows among political strategists and heckles in Internet comment sections, the ad seems to have also raised the rate at which the insurgent campaign is bringing in fundraising dollars.
Cain has brought in nearly $2 million within the last week alone, nearly doubling his weekly returns earlier this month, his campaign told The Wall Street Journal. By contrast, Cain only brought in $2.8 million over the entire third quarter.
"Our donations online have shot up a lot since that ad,” Block told the Journal. “The money we are getting is wildly beyond our expectations."
Cain's campaign has argued that the ad was a manifestation of a nontraditional, down-to-earth style that has caught the Republican zeitgeist. The polls seem to echo that analysis, with Cain leading Mitt Romney 24 percent to 20 in a Fox News survey released earlier this week.
The candidate said earlier this week that the ad "did a great job" and represented his grassroots message.
"We have a saying in my campaign — let Herman be Herman. This is the attitude that I have when I do debates. This is the attitude I have when I do interviews: Let Herman be Herman. Mark Block is my chief of staff. And we also say, 'Let Mark be Mark,' " Cain said on Fox News. "Mark happens to be a smoker. He knows it's a bad habit, but he smokes. And so we weren't trying to send any subliminal message whatsoever. Many of us found it hilarious, because we know Mark Block."
Block said the ad enforced the idea of Cain as a "different kind of presidential candidate."
“Yes, the smoking part of that ad was controversial — and I don’t in any way condone smoking — but the message that Herman Cain is a different kind of presidential candidate is certainly resonating across the country,” Block said.
I remember reading studies about how quitting butts were even harder than quitting drugs.
I know quite a few AA and NA peeps (some in my family). The only one who actually quit smoking as well as everything else is my sister.
I must say, she’s on me like a bat out of hell!
Exactly my response.
GO HERMAN!!!
I am very proud of you, CIBvet. You know, I have wondered why there weren’t treatment programs to get off of cigarettes. Since it is proven to be addicting and the person does go through a type of withdrawl... it makes sense. NA filled that gap for you. I am sure during meetings, you might have learned coping skills and how to react to situations (vs going to a cigarette). With many types of treatments today... the focus is on willpower and a pill/patch/piece of gum. I am going to tell my one friend who is struggling with it to think about NA. Thanks!
Smoking is a poorly understood addiction. I have done a lot of reading over the years, and have come to some conclusions. Whether these help you or not, it may be useful to revisit many of your assumptions.
While smoking is notoriously addictive (possibly more-so than any other “drug”), nicotine itself is not particularly addictive. If you were to drop nicotine into your coffee every morning, you would be much more addicted to the caffeine, than the nicotine.
What makes nicotine so addictive, when used via cigarettes (or, to a lesser degree, dip, cigars, or pipes), is that you are essentially free-basing nicotine. This is because of other chemicals in tobacco (MAOIs), and also because of chemicals added during the curing process (ammonia, in particular).
Blood nicotine levels aren’t particularly relevant, as a result (and also explains why nicotine gum/patch have such a poor track record). When you smoke a cigarette, the nicotine is delivered to the brain quickly and disproportionately (ie — more nicotine ends up in your brain, and it ends up there almost immediately).
Freebasing anything would make it addictive, but even more-so with nicotine, for two reasons. First, the brain has nicotine receptors (why they exist is a bit of a mystery, but probably has to do with differences in diet somewhere back in our evolutionary past).
Second, nicotine has a number of very positive mental benefits. It calms when you are stressed, energizes when tires, increases concentration when thinking, increases feeling of happiness, and lessens negative emotions. Taken in “ordinary” means (via diet, orally, or through something like the patch or e-cigs), these effects are subtle.
Free-based, however, these effects are very strong. This leads to part of the addiction.
The other aspect of the addiction lies in the role of taste and smell. These senses are very powerful in terms of recalling past emotions (you can smell a tree from your childhood, and the memories will come flooding back). Well, the taste and smell of cigarettes triggers recall of all of the powerful effects nicotine has had over the years. If you are concentrating, for example, the thought of the smell/taste of cigarettes will bring back (subconsciously) all of the times that “free-based” nicotine made you concentrate so much better. If you are feeling euphoric, this taste/smell will bring back all of those times it made you feel even better. These “cravings” are all the more powerful because we are recalling back when we free-based this chemical which has so many positive effects.
The bottom line is that smoking is not an ordinary addiction, nor is the habit “just a habit.” It has very strong roots in your brains chemistry, and there are many different angles to it.
Personally, I quit via the e-cig. It rewires the taste/smell connection. But it does so without the other chemicals which create this free-basing effect (and also with the carcinogens). But for me, knowing why I still occasionally crave, and will always occasionally crave, a cigarette has helped me overcome those cravings, on the rare occasion where they occur.
Whichever route you choose, I suggest you throw away a lot of the conventional wisdom about smoking, and addiction to smoking, because so much of it is wrong. If your assumptions are wrong, it makes success that much more difficult.
What makes that ad so effective is its subtlety.
Love it.
You are right; it isn’t easy for everyone. I guess part of it is how much desire there is to quit versus how much desire to keep smoking.
I took a vow to stop, and that was it. I am sure that having only smoked for 8 years (albeit probably smoking enough material for 20 years!) helped.
I smoked not only regular cigarettes (including nonfiltered Camels for quite a while) but marijuana and hashish.
8 years later I started running and the first couple of months my lungs were on fire; coughed up a lot of black gunk. Quite amazing.
I hope everyone who wants to quit manages to do it, life is much better without smoking.
I found this to be delightfully funny! When I saw the ad, I KNEW the nanny-State Liberals would have an epidemic of exploding heads.
And I was right! hahahahahaha
Yes, that is a gimmee,
but needless to say,
any of the turkeys he may pardon will not be fit to be guest of honor for a Thanksgiving feast.
Though he and his whole band of thieves should be given a good roasting ....
I think it’s harder to quit smoking than drugs because people who have a smoking habit smoke many times a day - 20 for a one pack a day-er, etc. But I don’t think there are any drugs that a person inhales/ingests/etc 20 or more times a day.
It fills time, gives the mind something to always be thinking about, planning for, etc. Life almost revolves around smoking, there’s always checking inventory, what brands maybe, where can I do it, and of course the time it takes to smoke as well. Stopping can leave a spiritual/emotional/mental void. That’s what makes it hard, not the actual nicotine addiction.
It’s kind of like losing a constant companion. Stopping smoking means it’s just “me” all by myself...
Which is really a good thing; it’s an opportunity for a lot of personal introspection and learning. Happened for me that way.
Thanks for posting that. I’ve heard or read that the addiction to nicotine is as hard to break as any.
Exactly. When I quit the few times, I felt depressed, like I lost a best friend.
I DID NOT expect that.
I gave up the Mary Jane in my late twenties. It started giving me panic attacks.
If only butts did the same, I would give them up in a heartbeat....but NOOOOO, they make me feel better.
I am starting to hate them. Perhaps this may be a first step for me.
I read a really excellent article - written by a former smoker - about that aspect - that act habit of smoking fills a void, or rather leaves a void, when you stop. Totally aside from any physical addiction to the nicotine per se. I wish I knew where to find it; was explained really well, and how the author dealt with it.
I’m thinking maybe starting a new “habit” that uses hands - or hands and mouth - knitting, painting or other arts; playing music, etc. Also one that involves others doing the same thing and it’s non-smoking group. Painting group, craft group, etc. Even just for a while to (a) get used to not smoking with other people who are doing something and not smoking, (b) doing the other activity - something you potentially could or do enjoy, and could be something you could get into, and (c) maybe meet people who don’t smoke. I know if you keep hanging out with people who smoke, all the time, it could be hard.
I don’t know if these ideas will be useful, but I wish you success. My lungs thank me.
Oh, and my mother died of emphysema and lung cancer, she smoked for 60 years.
:-(
Dumb ass headline.
It is not a “Smoking Ad”, i.e. an advertisement for smoking. It is a political ad in which someone smokes.
Words have meaning and headlines written like this indicate either ignorance of the English language or deliberate bias.
OTOH, if one considers the ad to be extremely successful, then it could be called and ad that is Smokin’
I am the “leper” who smokes amongst my friends and family. I did take up knitting but lost interest.
I believe it is up to the individual smoker to determine when and how to stop......not that suggestions are not welcome.
I’ve learned quite a few things in this thread alone in which may help me.
The more suggestions, the better. As I have stated, without this thread, I would have NEVER thought about other ways to stop smoking.
The more the better!
It certainly is a tricky habit to understand, especially if you've got it.
I quit back in 1978 at age 26 after smoking since 17. I was major league hooked. Quit a thousand times. A real love/hate relationship with cigarettes.
Then I flipped a switch and quit. It was tough for a year when I had a beer. Then for about 10 years I'd buy a couple or three packs a year. Smoke each pack in a day, usually when out with a buddy drinking. Those years were when I truly enjoyed it without feeling the addictive aspect, just pleasure. Then eventually I just lost interest in even doing that.
I consider myself fortunate not to have that lingering desire, as many former smokers tell me they have.
I know that there are triggers. For a lot, it may be a beer or a glass of wine. For others, it is talking on the phone or even driving in the car. I wonder if some of the better/more successful treatment programs don’t actually advise you to stop doing a triggering activity for a period of time (if possible) until a person feels a bit stronger along (without the nicotine?)
You can check the phonebook for a list of mtgs ... and one of course can also use Google to find the central office that can provide a national listing.
I have heard of AA and NA but I didn’t even know there was a Nicotine Anonymous. Thanks, CIBvet. To be honest, she is struggling and I think she has the type of personality that sort of needs support and backing. This may be perfect for her.
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