Hotdogs, Apple Pie & Farouk?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcQM2bQ5V2k] A friend of mine created this ad.  I really love the opening, I'm a sucker for iconic images and Americana.  I think it's also an interesting approach to the essential problem of this campaign: How do you run a man named Farouk Shami for governor in Texas?

I wonder if they could go the entire ad without mentioning his name? Maybe only mention it at the end? I wanted to post this ad in the wake of the Domino's ad because I think (and I've told my friend as much) that while this is a great opening ad, at some point you're going to have to address the big issue, no not that he's a Democrat running in Texas, but his name, Farouk Shami.  If his name was Luis Gonzalez, he'd have an uphill fight even in Texas, but at least he's be playing in the right sand box, but Farouk Shami in Texas of all places? That a pretty big hurdle to overcome.  If there's an elephant in the room, my opinion is that you have to address it head on at some point.

It's a good ad, and a compelling message, but I wonder in the end if it's all just window dressing?  It's also a good reminder that while I'm showing ads usually one at a time, especially in politics they're often part of a campaign, and each ad should build on the last, to create a larger story or reinforce elements of the story the campaign is trying to tell.  We'll see where this one goes.