Guy Benson:
Consider this your Friday evening palate cleanser — and a very welcome one at that. As the ritual center-right circular firing squad gathers over the very ugly mess in Mississippi, I give you a delightful and clever web ad produced by an African-American conservative running for office in a neighboring state. Meet Darius Foster, a black Republican from the deep South who will not be pigeonholed:
[youtube]http://youtu.be/xIgjOX1jJXw[/youtube]
“Now that you know a little about me, do I really fit in a box?”
The spot startles at the onset (is that her voice?), arresting the viewer’s attention. The middle section offers a fun, and at times stirring, glimpse into a Foster’s life. Viewers aren’t bombarded with slogans, campaign pledges, or ideology; they’re meeting a man. A man with normal interests, relatable quirks, a compelling life story, and a wife he’s crazy about. The ad closes with the intended upshot: Don’t pre-judge me based on my race or party. Give me a fair hearing based on who I am, and what I believe. “See you on the campaign trail.” Light, yet powerful. As conservatives grapple with the challenge of appealing to non-traditional voting blocs — an existential necessity for the GOP moving forrward — they’d be wise to pay attention to Foster’s approach here. Show up, be real, knock down unfair barriers to entry erected by self-interested liberals, then stick around and listen. I dearly hope ads like this, and not like these, represent the future of Republicans’ minority outreach efforts.
