Thus far, one of the biggest takeaways from the 2016 election is “firepower sells.” Be it the Republican nominee’s thankfully non-nuclear use of rhetorical weaponry, or previous White House hopeful Ted Cruz’s penchant for actual guns, politicians vying for the American public’s attention (and votes) must break out the biggest hunks of metal they can find to get their armor-piercing points across. Hence the latest ad from Eric Greitens, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Missouri.
A few days before clinching the state’s GOP primary race on Tuesday, thereby beating out several other “outsider” and established candidates, Greitens’ campaign released an ad on YouTube titled “Big Guns.” And the so-called guns in question? The two adjacent to the former Navy SEAL’s muscular frame, and the Gatling-style machine gun he fires into an empty lake for at least 20 seconds of the 30-second commercial.
Aside from the literal fireworks, Greitens asks viewers at the very end to “join our mission” to “take back Missouri.” But what villain is currently in possession of Missouri? President Obama, of course, as the narrator suggests the candidate is “under attack from Obama’s Democrat machine” in the opening seconds. “They’re trying to steal another Missouri election,” the rough ‘n’ touch voice warns, “but Eric Greitens is a conservative warrior, and when he fights back, he brings out the big guns.”
Paging President Camacho.