Reggie the Registration Rig and other ill-advised political campaigns

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There are lots of graveyards for questionable advertising campaigns but what of stupid political campaigns? For example, meet "Reggie The Registration Rig", which coke-huffing Republican decided that a giant semi-truck named "Reggie" was the way to sign people up to vote. Are the Republicans *that* clueless and stupid or are they feeling desperate enough to fund this. I'm picturing some smoke-filled back room filled with blue bloods, all hand-wringing over how to get the "young people" to vote Republican and at the crisis point (cinematography by the Coen brothers) they pull the curtain back to reveal... Reggie The Registration Rig!

Anyway, post your favorite stupid and failed political campaigns here.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Friday, 5 March 2004 02:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh that's easy. The Republican candidate for Senator in California in 1986, up against Alan Cranston, trying to make sure everyone could pronounce his name right. His name was Ed Zschau. His ads always ended with a heavily reverbed/whispered/power invocation of said name:

ZZZZZZZZZSSSSSSSSSSCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUU

Pronounced as in the first syllable of 'shower' -- he lost.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 5 March 2004 02:23 (twenty-one years ago)

My favorite part of that page is the celebrity list. I clicked "more" expecting to see... um... more... ah... celebrities. That's not even "some".

― jazz odysseus, Friday, 5 March 2004 02:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Mach Zschau, Mach Zschau!

― pete s, Friday, 5 March 2004 02:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Reminds me of my friend Steve Mandel's legendary comment at the Spinal Tap show in 1992 when 'Special Guests' Jerry Cantrell, Michael Jackson's blonde guitarist and a Porcaro brother from Toto appeared on stage. Quoth Steve: "These are not special guests. These are guests."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 5 March 2004 02:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Are you high? Reggie the Registration Rig is the ideal vehicle (ho ho) for recruiting nascent Republicans. It might have been dreamed up in a back room by a bunch of BushCo cokers but it seems to me it'll be quite effective. Shit, put a Reggie in the parking lot of every NASCAR event and even if the fuckers don't vote, you've got a couple of thousand assholes that'll willingly plaster their broken-down cars/brand new Hummers with aspirational bumper stickers depicting virile, manly machinery and flags. Free advertising.

― retort pouch (retort pouch), Friday, 5 March 2004 03:14 (twenty-one years ago)

For a second I thought the last word of the second to last sentence was missing an 'l'.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 5 March 2004 03:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Reggie will be great for attracting young voters. Too bad 7 year olds can't vote.

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 5 March 2004 03:43 (twenty-one years ago)

this is the "plaid lad" of electioneering schticks.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 5 March 2004 05:12 (twenty-one years ago)

If that thing comes down my street, I'm winging a rock at it. But, hey, I'm just voting.

― jim wentworth (wench), Friday, 5 March 2004 05:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, at least Reggie is encouraging people to vote, which is exactly what would have made Bush lose the 2000 election had people actually followed Reggie's advice. (Yes, I still believe Democrats are more apathetic non-voters than Republicans, shoot me)

Though I get the feeling Reggie will only be visiting areas where there's a high concentration of only apathetic Republican non-voters this time around.

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 5 March 2004 05:21 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.myersstudebaker.com/images/Reggie%20Jackson%20Avanti.JPG

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Friday, 5 March 2004 06:58 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought I was going to go somewhere with that picture, but I kind of gave up

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Friday, 5 March 2004 07:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, the Avanti is awesome. Everyone should own a Studebaker and a 1967 Reggis Topps card. Sadly, I have neither.

― jim wentworth (wench), Friday, 5 March 2004 07:12 (twenty-one years ago)

ReggiE Topps Card, that is.

― jim wentworth (wench), Friday, 5 March 2004 07:13 (twenty-one years ago)

President Kerry will make that happen

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Friday, 5 March 2004 07:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah now, liberal Americans of ILX, I'm as much of a cock-eyed optimist as anyone, but sometimes y'all exhibit an utter lack of comprehension of basic demographic facts: there are are gobs of folks to whom this campaign will appeal, and they outnumber you.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Friday, 5 March 2004 07:46 (twenty-one years ago)

The GOP's trucker-in-chief...

http://www.gaytoday.com/images2k3/egillespie.jpg

I think we should counter with this guy...

http://community.webshots.com/s/image7/7/96/49/84879649ETMmFp_ph.jpg

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 5 March 2004 07:57 (twenty-one years ago)

there are are gobs of folks to whom this campaign will appeal, and they outnumber you.

But wouldn't those people have already registered to vote?

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Friday, 5 March 2004 08:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Not all of them, especially the younger ones.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Friday, 5 March 2004 08:50 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, as gotv efforts go i don't see how this is particularly "ill-advised".

― cinniblount (James Blount), Friday, 5 March 2004 09:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I think that all groups of voters who were harassed off the rolls in FL in 2000 should and register as Republicans, partic. if black and Democrat. Who knows, they might actually be allowed to cast a ballot this time!

― suzy (suzy), Friday, 5 March 2004 09:31 (twenty-one years ago)

two weeks pass...

"Reggie" is coming to Times Square this Thursday. We need
Team Leader volunteers to register new voters and sign
up new Team Leaders this Thursday March 25th for:

MTV's TRL @ 2:00p.m. sharp in NYC's Times Square

This is a great way to get more young voters involved
in the political process, and educate others about the
Republican Party. This is sure to be an exciting event!
Please let Sarah know if you can make it. Hope to see
you there.

It is important that you RSVP to:
Sarah Magruder: East@gopteamleader.com

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 14:39 (twenty-one years ago)

How soon before Reggie appears on "Pimp My Ride"?

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 15:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I got the impression from an article i read that ed gillespie is gonna be on trl? surely the end is nigh..

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 17:51 (twenty-one years ago)

two weeks pass...

Reggie The Registration Rig visits MTV and the results weren't all that hot. One guy registered Democrat, and others were just oblivious.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Friday, 9 April 2004 08:57 (twenty-one years ago)

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