As the Republican primary heats up, that can only mean more ads. Which ones succeed? Which fail? We'll be reviewing them as they come out. Today Rick Perry confuses us.

The Ad: Rick Perry, "Politically Correct" 

The Issues: Ostensibly the issues are congressmen turned lobbyists, aiding hostile foreign nations, bankrupting Social Security. 

The Message: Well, this one is confusing. See, Rick Perry starts off saying that political correctness is running rampant in Washington D.C., which is something many people, conservatives especially, complain about. But then he goes and starts talking about all the issues listed above and it's a bit confusing. That's not really what political correctness is? Like, people aren't too politically correct to say any of those things. People say those things all the time! Political correctness, to us at least, seems to be more about social and cultural things? Is that the coded message? Sure he'll talk about these softball topics in the ad, but what he really means, dear insider viewer, is that he won't be "politically correct" about the gays and the immigrants and the abortions and stuff. Is that the secret point of this ad? Because really there is nothing third-rail about any of the topics he actually discusses in it. 

Who It's For: Well, possibly those folks that will get the secret message. 

What Everyone Else Thinks: Huh? Is Perry just blabbering on again or are we missing something? 

The Effect: This is confusing and dumb at best, and insidious at worst. Either way, it gets a D.

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Richard Lawson