Zen and the Art of Presidential Campaign Maintenance

David Weigel | June 14, 2007

Via Oliver Willis comes the greatest campaign video of modern times.

Reason subscriber Mike Gravel (more on that here) has another, more Herzogian video in the queue, but I'm not sure which I prefer.

Comments

|6.14.07 @ 3:14PM|#

.....wow.....that's 2:51 of my life that I'll never get back.

|6.14.07 @ 3:18PM|#

That's really an extraordinary rock throw. As someone who's throw a lot of rocks, that his rock made such a big splash, after he threw it in the lake. I don't think I have ever seen that before and I have seen some pretty absurd rock throws. I would ask the Senator to withdraw that rock and tell us that he didn't really mean to throw it.

Ted|6.14.07 @ 3:22PM|#

You should have spent that 2:51 contemplating Gravel. That's the point. He isn't trying to ram universal healthcare or any other politics du jours down your throat.

|6.14.07 @ 3:26PM|#

I don't get it.

But I feel like that's o.k.

|6.14.07 @ 3:32PM|#

.....wow.....that's 2:51 of my life that I'll never get back.

I followed the link to Oliver Willis's site and watched the 7 minutes of footage of the fire he allegedly built.

At first I thought it was dumb, then slowly a sort of calm came over me, then it felt like I was back on the East Coast at Xmas time watching video footage of a fireplace burning and I became downright euphoric. Now I think Im gonna go take a nap.

|6.14.07 @ 3:33PM|#

I think saw that on Germany's Most Disturbing Home Videos last month.

grylliade|6.14.07 @ 3:50PM|#

This proves that Mr. Gravel is for the legalization of drugs. The only thing more trippy than that I've seen are those ONDCP commercials with the dog.

phocion|6.14.07 @ 3:51PM|#

He's certainly saying all the things I want to hear from a politician.

stephen the goldberger|6.14.07 @ 4:02PM|#

that was as awful as the sopranos' series finale

|6.14.07 @ 4:04PM|#

His eyes....his eyes...they follow you no matter where you go in the room!

|6.14.07 @ 4:06PM|#

If it was slightly shorter, I'd like it; and I like the concept behind it. It shows rather than tells.

|6.14.07 @ 4:20PM|#

People can stop calling Ron Paul a nut now.

GoRonPaul|6.14.07 @ 4:23PM|#

My god.

|6.14.07 @ 4:40PM|#

WAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!

|6.14.07 @ 5:05PM|#

Best comment over on Oliver Willis' blog: Waiting for Godot?

edna|6.14.07 @ 5:52PM|#

marguerite duras would be proud.

uncle sam|6.14.07 @ 5:58PM|#

He made a splash, but after a while, everything was as before.

|6.14.07 @ 8:46PM|#

And we have a threadwinner. ^

|6.14.07 @ 9:44PM|#

I don't get either of them. But I like campfires. And foghorns. So I vote that the "more Herzogian" one is better.

|6.15.07 @ 12:29AM|#

wtf?

Oh--and the Sopranos finale was perfect.

|6.15.07 @ 7:32AM|#

I cut a :15 out of that if anyone wants it -- much punchier. Plus a radio version.

D.A. Ridgely|6.15.07 @ 9:23AM|#

I'm going to wait for the director's cut.

|6.15.07 @ 10:04AM|#

seriously, it's almost unspeakably beautiful