Following the now infamous “Smoking” ad in support of Herman Cain unexpectedly going viral – sparking a media frenzy of both admiration and admonition from voters, besides numerous parodies – former Cain Chief of Staff, Mark Block, will release his own sequel at an undisclosed future date.

Meanwhile, another new video was shown to an audience at Marquette University in his home state of Wisconsin; before sitting down for a conversation with award winning journalist Mike Gousha, for his “On the Issues” interview series titled “Tales from the Campaign Trail: Herman Cain’s Chief of Staff goes “On the Issues” at Marquette Law School.”

Video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPVFYXxwuhw&feature=youtu.be

The new video starts with a clip of former presidential candidate Herman Cain thanking the University for letting Block tells their campaign’s story, then launching into a montage of scenes from different points throughout the campaign trail. It follows Cain’s announcement, campaigning and press coverage. The video’s climax is Block’s original ad, followed by clips of the fallout. Late night comedy references and media interviews with both the candidate and Block are featured following the ad, culminating in a stylized still image of Block with the bold inscription “Block is America” as if to respond to The Five’s Andrea Tantaros asking “Who’s Mark Block?”

Last week, during one of his numerous cigarette breaks outside of the Marriot Hotel hosting the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington D.C., Block fed rumors of an impending video release.

I joined Block as he spoke informally to a group that included National Review Magazine’s Jim Geraghty. It wasn’t very hard to find Block at CPAC. One only needed to walk out the hotel’s back entry to enter Block’s “office.”

“If the last one was a four, this one will be a nine… point nine nine,” said Block, referring to his upcoming video, as confirmed by Geraghty’s blog. We wonder how many possibilities can be invented with the number nine. Will he smoke nine cigarettes at once; surrounded by nine staffers; shot by nine cameras?

Conception of the original “Smoking” ad was likewise untraditional. Missing his chance to record Cain for an Ad, the cameraman suggested that Block make a short, informal statement after bumping into him outside smoking a cigarette. Block agreed, and the rest is history; giving rise to the saying “Let Block be Block,” when Cain was asked to comment on the controversy surrounding it.

The ad was originally posted on the campaign’s YouTube channel, but quickly went viral, receiving coverage on every news outlet; especially late night comedy shows.  It was a success without the campaign needing to purchase any network ad space.

“It was the best ad ever created for 4 dollars,” said Block.

Block received a flurry of support from smokers and allies who were glad to see such candor from a political campaign, but also, detraction from anti-Smoking groups calling it a bad example for children.

“Of course,” said a nearby media member ironically, “don’t you know how many children out there stay up until 4am watching political coverage and were inspired to smoke?”

The group laughed.

“Yes, maybe I need to be working for Big Tobacco,” chimed Block.

Block promised that his new ad will soon be released without specifying an exact date or time; but that Geraghty may be the first to receive and post it on his blog.

Also Posted at http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/02/16/herman-cains-former-chief-of-staff-releasing-new-smoking/

Dmitriy Shapiro is a political columnist and analyst. He can be contacted at dishapir@gmail.com  Follow him on Twitter: @dmitriyshapiro

Former candidate and Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain made a surprise endorsement of candidate Newt Gingrich tonight at the Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee Lincoln Day Dinner in West Palm Beach, Florida; according to The Shark Tank.

See Video Here.

Cain, who ended his presidential bid among allegations of infidelity on December 3, 2011; has kept up his public profile, keeping voters and pundits guessing as to who he will endorse, and when.

In a recent interview with conservative radio and television host Sean Hannity, Cain hinted that he will be endorsing a candidate soon, though it would come as a surprise and will be “unconventional.”

Meanwhile the Gingrich campaign and dinner organizers also gave the media hints to expect a big surprise endorsement at the dinner.

According to Chris Moody of Yahoo’s The Ticket, Cain told attendees:

“I hereby officially and enthusiastically endorse Newt Gingrich for president of the United States! One of the biggest reasons is the fact that I know that Speaker Gingrich is a patriot, Speaker Gingrich is not afraid of bold ideas and I also know that Speaker Gingrich is running for president and going through this sausage grinder. I know what this sausage grinder is all about.”

Herman Cain left the presidential race after being accused of sexual harassment by numerous women who served under him while head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990’s. Although, never admitting guilt, Cain was unable to credibly rebut the claims against him, and saw his lead in national polls quickly slip away. He cited the pain that the accusations were causing his wife and family as the main reason for his decision.

Cain appealed to many conservative voters because of his relationship with the Tea Party movement and his successful business career. He saw a surge in the polls primarily because of his innovative 9-9-9 tax plan; resonating with voters because of its simple, fair and innovative structure; besides its easily remembered handle. Mitt Romney, also a businessman, was edged out by Cain – because unlike Romney, who made his money in investment markets – Cain had a “main street” business background that appealed to small business owners having once revitalized the struggling Godfather’s Pizza chain from the ground up.

Significantly, Cain’s rise began in the state of Florida, then spilling over into South Carolina before becoming the national frontrunner. This endorsement comes at a critical time for Gingrich, who is looking to regain momentum after two undistinguished debate performances. Moreover, latest poll results show Romney’s newly acquired offensive strategy against Gingrich is paying off.

With this endorsement, Gingrich can now claim some economic credibility and a chance to absorb supporters whose value of a business experience moved them toward an uneasy support of Romney. Gingrich may also gain the few voters still left who are undecided by the exit of other candidates.

Unfortunately, Cain’s endorsement may have come too late to impact the race as much as he and Gingrich would like. Most Cain supporters had already gone to Gingrich and the other “not-Romneys” anyway. With no more debates left before the Florida primary, Gingrich also finds himself lacking the best medium to trumpet and contextualize this endorsement to the largest audience; moreover, network news coverage will be very limited since most weekend time-slots are already occupied by pre-recorded shows, making them inflexible to breaking news. Whether Gingrich could capitalize on this endorsement with so little time before the primary is uncertain, unless, of course, Monday’s media barrage to follow provides him with the exposure he missed during last week’s debates.

Follow Dmitriy Shapiro on Twitter @dmitriyshapiro

The 2012 GOP Nominee (If Obama Gets Away With It)

He’s out there. Public Enemy #1. Emmanuel Goldstein to Barack Obama’s INGSOC. And what’s worse is that he’s running for President!

Read More →

The 2012 GOP Nominee (If Obama Gets Away With It)

He’s out there. Public Enemy #1. Emmanuel Goldstein to Barack Obama’s INGSOC. And what’s worse is that he’s running for President!

Read More →

Choosing a political candidate is similar to dating. There are men with whom you flirt. There are men who you date.  And then there are the men who are so exceptional that you take them home to meet the parents.  Women learn the difference between these kinds of men with varying speed.  The Republican Primary voters (according to the polls) have flirted with most candidates and even dated a few  - Romney, Bachmann, Perry, Cain, and Gingrich.  Each one of the aforementioned candidates have surged in the polls and generated excitement in the Republican Party only to lose attention later.  This primary reminds me of those who are serial monogamists – being head over heels for someone for a month or so and then moving on to the next “best” shiny thing.

After flirting with and/or dating Romney, Bachmann, Perry, Cain, and Gingrich, Republican voters have yet to seriously consider Ron Paul and Rick Santorum.  Admittedly, after finding out Rick Santorum was running, I instantly thought he was the best man for the job.  But, like many, I later got distracted by some of the other bright shiny things. I “flirted” with a few candidates and even dating one.

Governor Mitt Romney

For the record, I have never trusted Romney.  He is the “too good to be true” guy.  He is the guy that admits that he cheated in the past, but promises to never do it again.  He is good-looking and well spoken and will tell you anything you want to hear.  In my earlier naïve years, I may have flirted with Romney.  I may have even been stupid enough to date him.  However, I learned long ago that this kind of man will disappoint you in the end with either infidelity or inability to commit.  Romney is definitely not the marrying kind.

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann

Bachmann is included in this list of those who Republicans have “dated” because of her early surge in the polls before Perry announced his candidacy.  I strongly considered Bachmann as her values closely align with mine.  However, I was disturbed by what I thought to be intellectually dishonest comments attacking other candidates.  This made me question her ability as candidate.  It also made me wonder if I could trust her.  As with any relationship, trust is imperative.  I am not sure why she chose to misrepresent the Gardasil issue.  If it was a mistake, it was a big one in my book.

Governor Rick Perry

After seeing Rick Perry speak at CPAC 2011 in Washington D.C., I really wanted him to enter the race.  He has strong conservative principles and a proven record of success as Governor of Texas.  His stance on State’s rights and promise to make Washington irrelevant was all the sweet-talking a lot of us Republicans needed.  He is charming with his Texas swagger, confidence, and patriotism that is so lacking in the White House today.  However, that charm started waning with each passing debate where Perry turned in disappointing performances.  Furthermore, many Republicans disagree with his stance on immigration reform in the State of Texas.  Aside from a few issues, Rick Perry is one of the most proven conservative candidates in the race.  He will need to recapture that spark among voters again and convince them that he can stand toe to toe with Obama in a campaign before.  Perry is a datable guy if he can just work hard enough to make us believe in him again.

Herman Cain

Cain was certainly an attractive candidate – a man whose confident and straight-forward way of talking gained attention among Republicans.  Cain was a refreshing change from the field of professional politicians.  His strong conservative convictions and unique delivery caused many voters to flirt and even date Cain for some time (there is no pun intended here).  However, his lack of knowledge on foreign policy coupled with his reputation as a “ladies man” (whether deserved or not) destroyed his chances to ever be brought home to meet the parents.

Speaker Newt Gingrich

Who could resist a flirtation with Gingrich, a former conservative hero that ushered in a Republican majority in Congress for the first time in 40 years in 1994?  In debate after debate, Gingrich proved that he wasn’t just a flash in the pan from the 90’s, but a powerhouse of intellect and debating prowess.  This combination caused a large jump in his polling numbers as many Republicans decided to take the plunge and date Gingrich.  Unfortunately for Gingrich, many of those voters were reminded of Gingrich’s entire record.  Not only had he supported liberal policies in the past, he continues to express his admiration for one of the most far left Presidents in history – FDR.  Hearing this made me want to break up with him on Twitter instantly.  Like all relationships, when you realize your values do not align on serious issues, it is probably best not to proceed forward.   Many are still dating Gingrich, perhaps hoping that they are dating the Gingrich who wrote “The Contract with America.”  I hope that he is that man.  But, I think that his recent statements have shown that while he is a conservative sometimes, he still believes in using big government to achieve his goals.  So, that leaves us with Ron Paul and Rick Santorum.

Congressman Ron Paul

I don’t think conservative voters have ever given any real consideration to dating Ron Paul.  Let’s face it – Ron Paul supporters have married and pledged their life-long fidelity to him long ago.  These libertarians are like enthusiastic newlyweds proclaiming to the world their love.  Conservatives have flirted with Paul’s ideas more than the man himself.  He has raised the bar for many other candidates on economic issues such as the Federal Reserve and even on some foreign policy issues.  However, while many Republicans are open to suggestion that America is suffering from battle fatigue and our military is overextended around the world, what we really want is a hawk in the White House.  We want to be protected from those in the World who would destroy America.  Republicans can’t date or marry Paul because we just don’t think he can protect our country.  We can’t trust him to be Commander in Chief.  Everyone knows that a relationship without trust is really no relationship at all.

Senator Rick Santorum

For me, it began and will hopefully end with Rick Santorum.  He was the first guy in the room I noticed.  He is smart, has strong conservative convictions, and conveys them well.  Unfortunately, I think many voters have put him in the “friends” category because they didn’t really feel that “spark” they felt with other candidates.  Rick Santorum is the good guy.  He doesn’t have baggage.  He is consistently conservative.  He is a family man.  He is the guy the girls pass over to date the bad guys.  He is the guy that is a great friend to those girls even though they repeatedly make mistake after mistake.  After some period of time, girls turn into women and learn that the bad guys are not the ones to marry.  Then they turn their attention to the “marrying kind”.  They turn their attention to a man like Rick Santorum.  It is time to stop flirting with candidates whose values don’t align with ours with the false premise that only they can win.  This primary is time for conservatives to choose.  It is time to find that candidate to take “home to meet the parents.”

Rick Santorum has a consistent, proven record of social and economic conservative principles and an impeccable character.  He believes in American Exceptionalism.  He is a hawk on foreign policy.  He has a proven record in the United States Senate working to reduce dependency on welfare and protecting the sanctity of life.  He is also a fiscal conservative who has obtained high scores from the American Taxpayers Union and pledged to end crony capitalism in Washington.  Rick Santorum is the total package.  As Rush Limbaugh said on Wednesday – “I love Rick Santorum, if he won I would never have to wonder if he would do the right thing.”

The question confronting conservative voters in this primary is will we do the right thing?  Will we vote for the person we believe in and trust?  Or, will we let Washington insiders and pundits tell us to lower our standards and support a more “electable” candidate?  We have several great candidates running in this primary. As any good friend would advise, life is too short to settle when choosing a mate.  As I advise here, this election is too important to settle for anyone but the best.  This is why I am supporting Rick Santorum.