it's late, and morning's in no hurry, but sleep won't set me free (pt. II)

Building on yesterday's video embed nightmare, ten more. (Well, at least ten more. I hope not more than ten more.

(For this entry.)

ANYWAY...

Pamela Gorman for Congress



There are a lot of odd Gorman videos out there, but this one actually got endorsed as a campaign ad. And yes, that's her son in the video. (Note: I'm not equating any political party with gun violence, but it is pretty odd to rely on gunfire to get elected. Keith Olbermann did a bit on it, even.)

The thing which leaps out at me--even more than the gunfire--is the over-the-top, almost satire-enriched narration. It sounds like a parody ad. It looks like a parody ad. But it's officially from the Gorman campaign.

Phil Davison wants your vote



Watch as an apparently rational, educated human being runs headlong into the wall of hysteria and screaming...for no apparent reason.

I think the voices are trying to drown him out, that's why he got louder, and louder, as the speech goes on.

Basil Marceaux for Tennessee Governor



"I'm Basil Marceaux-dot-com..." Really, do you need to know more than that? He is a man in dire need of a professional campaign ad...and a limit on ad length. Plus, he wanted to fine people for gun ownership--not owning them, no, but for not owning them. He wants everyone armed...then to congregate in groups of twenty-five for...what? It's not really clear.

Tim James: "We speak English here"



Now, to be fair, the man makes a point--that point being, everyone should be fluent in the main language of their culture. However, it's about accessibility, in the end. Printing government pamphlets and tests in a variety of languages--because America is a land of refugees, and English is the second most difficult language on the planet--only helps citizens understand those tests, and become better informed.

I don't have that knee-jerk "OMG RACIST" feeling, watching this--it's actually a well-made ad, and it communicates his point clearly--but I do feel, that as a citizen running for office, the last thing he should identify with is the restriction of understanding and the further impoverishment of people who are trying to live according to the rules of the culture, who are already impaired for not being fluent speakers of English.

The real fun in this ad was never the ad itself--it got a lot of hits, but the viral aspect was what came from this ad. There were parody ads playing on Tim James' odd sense of movement; extrapolating his original ad into an attack on Braille; a New Jersey variant; a planned theft of Disney World; and a closed-caption ad version, among countless others.

Dale Peterson for Agricultural Commissioner



This is another one whose base message seems to be Hi, I'm paranoid and strident. Vote for me or I'll shoot you. It doesn't put Alabama in the best light, I will admit.

To his credit, how'ver, even though he wasn't elected, he did get people thinking about the wisdom of having the Agricultural Commissioner be an elected position, rather than appointed for merit. So maybe that's a good thing?

Glenn Beck for President



"This is parody, right? Please?" I'm very much afraid that it's not.

Christine O'Donnell: I'm You



I can't put it any better than she does. "I'm not a witch. I'm you." And with that stunning statement, she says if elected, she will go to Congress and do what you would do there--because she is you. And not a witch. And nothing you've heard, either. So just ignore all the shady dodging and weird "but I'm totally Christian now" statements. And put aside the suspicions on the source of her income, the misuse of campaign funds, and the IRS suing her for back taxes. Because none of that is important. We have seen the future, for she is us.

Truly frightening stuph.

Carly Fiorina for Congress



I really have no words for this one. Keith Olbermann addresses what he calls the "worst ad campaign of all time"; Rachel Maddow mentions that among politicians and viewers alike, they were waiting for the punch line that said it was all just a joke. There's also the meeting of two memes to create the Dramatic Sheep moment, and--perhaps the only thing weirder: a Lady Gaga remix.

Drunk Bus Lady



Getting away from the political ads for the moment, I won't go on record as saying she is conclusively intoxicated. But she's something. And she leaves no doubt that hitting the bus was not just an accident, but clearly driver error.

Way Too Much Coffee



There are times in watching the news, we wonder why the people on the screen are given such extended screen access. Sometimes we grow frustrated, and yell at the screens, hoping our futile protesting will clear the babbling terror from our view.

This is not one of those times. This woman is absolutely enthralling, and I totally understand why the cameraman just let her talk. She's priceless. Maybe overly-caffeinated, but priceless.

There's also a song version.