Donald Trump

Donald Trump Releases The Strangest Presidential Ad of All Time (So Far).

Totes up total talk time, applause, and cheering.

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(Trump Ad)

Last night, Donald Trump released on Twitter what is possibly the strangest presidential ad of all time. It's a breakdown of how long his acceptance speech at last week's Republican National Convention was ("75 minutes total speech time"), followed by a measure of "total applause time" (24 minutes) and "33 percent time spent applauding." In case you're wondering, the ad itself runs 28 seconds, uses a generic music clip, and ends with Trump mouthing "I will fight for you" from the stage at the RNC.

Trump's speech at the RNC went on for a long time (it felt longer than an hour-plus-change in the actual arena), causing me to wonder if a Trump presidency would usher in an era of Castro-style orations by our leader. Now we have another concern altogether: First the speech, then the self-adulating statisitical breakdown. What comes next, commentary on dad's greatness by the kids?

I've long been a fan of attack ads rather than self-promotional image ads. The main reason for that, as Reason explained back in 2006, is that attack ads actually contain far more information than fluffy images of pols. Read more about that there. As a free-speech absolutist (unlike Trump or Hillary Clinton), I'd never suggest trimming political speech, but if there was one law I'd push on the subject, it would be that candidates can't talk about themselves in the commercials they produce.

NEXT: Cotton, Coercion, and Capitalism

Nick Gillespie is an editor at large at Reason.

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  1. Rufus The Monocled

    “Trump presidency would usher in an era of Castro-style orations by our leader. Now we have another concern altogether.”

    Obama tends to lecture people in his speeches.

    Tomato. Toomatto.

    1. John

      Suddenly Nick discovers that politicians give long boring speeches. Some of the shit he says is just remarkable.

      1. Eric Bana

        Do politicians normally make political ads based on how long their speeches and the applause are? Because if they don’t, they all should really start.

        1. I think we need a combo.

          All political speeches must talk about your opponent and must include stats on how long and hard the applause was when you revealed that he was actually an baby-eating atheist Jew who joined the KKK *and* The New Black Panthers (coming this Fall to NBC) to bring about the destruction of America.

          1. Eric Bana

            That’d just be over the top though.

    2. Adans smith

      No Obama points out how people that disagree with him are evil. Much different. And good morning Rufus.

      1. John

        And it is not like Obama ever gave a speech in a football stadium with tacky fake Greek columns that looked like something out of Triumph of the Will behind him.

        1. Don’t blame the movie.

          Supposedly Goebbels didn’t want Leni Riefenstahl to do some of the things she did making that movie.

          1. John

            Okay….

          2. BigT

            Do you think Leni and Joseph…you know. Do ya?

      2. Rufus The Monocled

        Yes, as he lectures.

        Obama gives speeches long on empty platitudes and bull shit.

      3. Mr Lizard

        Obama: “Those who don’t share my perfect vision of how things should be are racists hate mongers, who are only one cattle train away from being removed as a an obsticle to progress”

        Trump: “You don’t agree with me? Well you’re stupid, and your mother is an overly-accommodating harlot. But we’re still going to do things my way, and it will be huge and you’ll love it.”

        1. And it’ll be the classiest cattle train you’ve ever been locked into. Really high quality.

          1. NYC2AZ

            “We spared no expense.”

  2. SIV

    As a free-speech absolutist …but…

    The “b” word always follows the claim of being for free speech

    1. Scarecrow & WoodChipper Repair

      It’s so much worse than any known four letter word that they dropped one letter to make it special!

  3. See? People like Trump.

    1. Many people like to get schlonged.

  4. Adans smith

    ‘attack ads usually contain more information ‘. Nick,you spelled ‘bullshit ‘ wrong. And fuck veganism.

    1. egould310

      Yes. Fuck veganism, indeed. And fuck Michigan.

  5. John

    http://www.politico.com/story/…..ion-226072

    DNC CFO apologizes for plotting to portray Sanders as a Godless Commie Jew.

    You know what the best part of this is? This is the first in a series of planned Wikileaks dumps of DNC emails. I assume they are holding the best stuff for last. This is so great and it seems that it will only get better.

    1. Mr Lizard

      The mammal named Assange is quite crafty

      1. arbitrary wavefunction

        You lizards are weak when your plots are discovered.

        This coming mammal/lizard wars may be more even than you think. Our Assange will lead us to victory over your Wasserman-Schultz.

        1. All you hav R to do is turn down the heat.

    2. In a copy of a Facebook post provided by a source, Marshall said that he “deeply” regrets his “insensitive, emotional emails.” His Facebook page, upon searching, is private, and the statement is the only content viewable to the public.

      So – Ser East, you simply regurgitated the headline of several major media outlets several days ago, copy/pasted a single paragraph from those stories *and you still had to have someone send you a link* (which is what ‘provided by a source means for webpages dimwit) and the extent of your original work is to check his Facebook page to find its set to private at which point you . . . what? Figured that you were going above and beyond the call of duty by copy/pasting the whole message there (we can check that ourselves – its what webpages are *for* dimwit) and that was it for a grueling day of being a Journalist.

      Listen up missy, we’ve got people here who haven’t even attended Columbia Journalism School that have more moxie and get-up-and-go than you.

      Oh, its funny looking at your linked bio and you – the ‘Web Producer’ for Politico – can’t even bother to get the formatting correct.

    3. Then it will get sad. Like that last few leaks that had people making up excuses and then making up excuses to cover up the excuses they made when those excuses were shown by later revelations to be bullshit. And then iterating through that several times.

      And then everyone said ‘that’s old news’ and tuned into the West/Swift whatever the hell its supposed to be.

    4. To be fair, Sanders *is* a Godless socialist.

      I doubt he holds anything which an Orthodox or Conservative Jew would recognize as Judaism. Maybe the Reform or the Reconstructionists would have him.

      But the idea of a Creator-God who takes a continuing interest in the world, who rewards virtue and punishes wickedness? I don’t think Sanders believes in that idea, he wants the state to take that role.

      1. Of course, I’m amused by the fact that a Democratic operative would pretend he actually believes it’s wrong to be a Godless Socialist.

        1. Bubba Jones

          No, he only observed that the voters would care. He didn’t express a personal opinion. I don’t think.

      2. Rufus The Monocled

        There’s no question in my mind he’s a communist at heart. Anyone who constantly advocates for the expansion of the state at the expense of the individual is pretty much on the commie/Socialist/Marxist scale. Even progressives fall on that side. He’s tagged as a ‘democratic socialist’ because that’s as close to commie-ism he can go within American polity.

      3. John

        Sure he is. But the Democrats have spent the last 70 years acting like calling a Godless Commie Jew a Godless Commie Jew was a really bad thing.

    5. Rufus The Monocled

      Despite all the demonizing of the GOP over eight years, it may very well backfire, eh? If you’re correct and WL is sitting on all these explosive emails, it will be the greatest case of shameless projection in contemporary American political history!

    6. JWW

      You know who else portrayed Jews as godless socialists?

      1. Rufus The Monocled

        God?

        1. Woody Allen?

    7. Bubba Jones

      I hope they have Hillary’s emails.

      1. BigT

        WL promised 3 batches of info. My guess is that they are holding back some w Hillary colluding in this. When she denies participation, BOOM!!

  6. WhatAboutBob

    So Trump is now Hitler and Fidel Castro? I can’t wait for the Genghis Khan comparisons.

    1. KHAAAAAAAAAAN! Wasn’t into long speeches.

      1. dschwar

        No, Kirk wasn’t one for long speeches. Khan would go on forever about his gloriousness if the screenwriters could have found the time for it.

    2. arbitrary wavefunction

      Don’t forget Mussolini…

    3. Adans smith

      Ivan the terrible?

  7. Rufus The Monocled

    One of our literate pals (I forget who!) suggested Trump is more this guy and I think it’s more on cue:

    http://bit.ly/1XsQdP2

  8. JWW

    ….. one law I’d push …..

    How so very useless progtarian of you.

    Hate the Donald and his ads all you want. He still has yet to call for a FUCKING CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT BANNING CRITICISM OF POLITICIANS!!!

    All this fucking handwringing about how Trump MIGHT be a totalitarian asshole when there’s so much goddammed proof Hillary is already a totalitarian asshole.

    1. Trump has already talked about how he wants to use the DoJ to go after his critics.

      As far as it goes, in this situation the devil calling for a change through the agreed upon process and getting buy-in from the country is preferable to the devil who admits he wants to undermine the basis of the legitimacy of the USG.

      Not that the first devil hasn’t *already* been caught actually doing the latter.

      Shit.

      Its not even a matter of ‘staying with the devil you know’ or even the jokey ‘when faced with the choice of two evils, why go for the lesser?’ They’re both fucking horrible in so many of the same ways.

      1. Bubba Jones

        Hillary says she will take administrative action against guns

        1. Like I said – there ain’t enough difference between the two of them to make one preferable to the other.

          1. PapayaSF

            Of course there is. 2A, Supreme Court, federal regulations, immigration all come to mind.

            1. BigT

              And I think Trump is a yuuuge ham. He is playing to the audience that he thinks can get him elected. He will delegate like crazy, and his kids will be important. And he will negotiate. He set out a very extreme first position in the primaries, to give himself room to compromise and still achieve ‘victory.’ He may be dumb, but he ain’t stupid.

      2. John

        And the Dems already have and do use DOJ against their enemies. The only way I can see to get them to stop doing that is to make them fear the other side might do it to them. It is not like appeals to principle and the rule of law will stop them.

    2. Adans smith

      When cut,Hillary bleeds black goo.It is known.

  9. Bubba Jones

    This is ridiculous. Hillary is a known evil. Trump is probably not as evil.

    But no one in these comments sections should be voting for either of them. WTF is wrong with you people?

    1. Adans smith

      I’m not,but,I still loath Herself more. She has a proven track record and made all her money with political favors. Hell,she may want back in the white house to steal what she forgot last time.

    2. Oh no, you’ve lit the John signal.

    3. JWW

      Voted for Johnson last time. It didn’t work. My vote won’t make a difference this time either.

      1. Adans smith

        Just get drunk like most of us here.

  10. Lord Rollingpin

    ‘As a free-speech absolutist (unlike Trump or Hillary Clinton), I’d never suggest trimming political speech, but…’
    Usually the rule is that the ‘but’ negates anything before it. In this case i guess Nick gets a pass as it’s intended as humour.

    1. Adans smith

      There’s always a butt.

      1. egould310

        And a Mexican. And some weed.

        1. Adans smith

          Thank you for the finish.

          1. egould310

            You can’t just leave a butt exposed like that without someone finishing on it.

  11. Most women realize that Trump is Hitler, and therefore will forbid their husbands from going out on election day. No one wants to explain to their kids why daddy voted for the guy who started WW III. Thus Trump will have to convince men to vote for him in secret, and thus the mouthing of “I will fight for you”. And yes I predicted this strategy months ago. Expect to see it more. The basic message is, “Don’t tell anyone you’re voting for me, it will be our little secret.”

  12. No mention of losing in ratings to Guy-who-got-captured John Mccain? Thought Trump would bring yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugggeee ratings? What gives?

    1. Are you talking Nielsen ratings?

      They’ve been going down for everything. Fewer people watch television in general.

      1. egould310

        Don’t jump on it too quickly. I’d like to see the point it’s trying to make.

        1. OneOut

          Grab it’s fucking leg.

        2. Homple

          Rather, see if the ad gets the results intended by the people who funded it.

      2. Adans smith

        Butt ,the debates may be fun to watch and drink and invite Mexicans with pot. But don’t invite Irish.

  13. Adans smith

    On a lighter note, I picked Roma,yellow,and beef steak tomatoes today. Along with banana and bell peppers .Made some salsa. Having a 6 oz bacon wrapped fillet ,garlic mashed potatoes and a nice salad later. A 6 of Heineken on ice.

    1. egould310

      Sounds good. Eat well!

  14. paulrvalentine

    The ad really is bizarre. And the math isn’t even right. 24/75 is 32%, not 33.

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    Go to the web———–> http://www.Alpha-Careers.com

  16. I wonder how that ratio of applause to speech compares with the old school “everyone’s afraid to be the first person to stop clapping at the end of a talk from Stalin.”

    1. Eyedunno

      That was exactly what this ad brought to mind for me.

  17. qjkxbmwvz

    That IS a very strange ad! Just a picture of Temp with the words “This browser does not support video playback.” – especially strange because I’ve watched loads of videos on this browser.

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