Huckabee for President, Inc.
 
"Chuck Norris Approved"
60-second ad "run on a limited basis" in Iowa starting Nov. 19, 2007.  (According to a "Note to Supporters" the media buy was $60,000, "a small amount targeted towards key areas of Iowa.")
 

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[Static, Music Sting] Male Announcer:  An important policy message from Governor Mike Huckabee.

Mike Huckabee:  My plan to secure the border?  Two words: Chuck Norris.

[Western Music starts]

Chuck Norris:  Mike Huckabee's a lifelong hunter who will protect our 2nd Amendment rights.

Mike Huckabee:  There is no chin behind Chuck Norris's beard, only another fist.

Chuck Norris:  Mike Huckabee wants to put the IRS out of business.

Mike Huckabee:  When Chuck Norris does a push-up, he isn't lifting himself up, he's pushing the earth down.

Chuck Norris:  Mike's a principled, authentic Conservative.

Mike Huckabee:  Chuck Norris doesn't endorse - he tells America how it's gonna be.

"Mike Huckabee for President" logo on screen

Mike Huckabee: I'm Mike Huckabee, and I approve this message…  So did Chuck.

Chuck Norris: Chuck Norris approved.

 

 
Notes:  At first glance this ad seems rather bizarre.  According to the press release:
"This is a light-hearted ad which draws attention to important issues. We want to show that running for President is serious business but a person can have fun doing it. I appreciate Chuck Norris' endorsement and his participation in the ad, which was designed to spotlight some key issues and to draw interested voters to our website," said Huckabee.
Gov. Huckabee offered further observations on his website.
This will run on a limited basis this week in Iowa and on the internet before our really serious issues oriented ads start next week.  I think you will really like the message and the way it's presented when you see it. 

The Chuck Norris ad is doing exactly what I said I would hope it would do when I appeared on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace--create some interest, give people a Thanksgiving week break from the nasty and savage ads that have been run by other campaigns, and drive people to our website to get the FULL story of the Huckabee campaign.  It is working!  Fox and even other networks have been running the ad and talking about it all day; website traffic is fantastic, and it is being called "the best ad of the campaign so far."  (We hope they will say that about the next one we'll run next week that starts getting serious about the issues.) 

I realize some of you don't think the ad is your cup of tea--I respect that--but be comforted in that we're stirring things up and bringing people our way.  Just keep praying that God will take little and make it much! 

There was a lively reaction on Huckabee's website, both favorable and unfavorable towards this ad.  Many of the comments praised the ad as humorous and memorable.  Martin Aaron lauded the ad for "its Digg-ability."  "It has Huck's personality all over it, there is a message, its not boring, its not too long, and its not embarrassing like the Dean Scream," he wrote. [ed. it's]  Others had strong doubts."  Heather Stepp observed, "I'm afraid this might be the Howard Dean scream moment that ruins everything."  Alice Brown urged, "PLEASE, PLEASE, DON'T RUN THIS AD."