TJ Walker analyzes Senator Rand Paul’s provocative TV commercial in which Paul theatrically destroys the U.S. tax code (burning it, using a chainsaw, wearing a T-shirt). Walker praises the ad for creativity, strong visuals, media attention, brand consistency, and emotional resonance — giving it an A for a Republican primary. He also flags downsides for a general-election audience: it can appear childish, undermine perceived seriousness, and expose policy vulnerabilities (e.g., flat-tax tradeoffs like losing mortgage interest and charitable deductions), assigning it a C– in that context.
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Senator Rand Paul has a new TV commercial out where he shreds the US tax code, burns it and attacks it with a chainsaw. Senator Paul with a new provocative ad where he's wearing a T shirt not unlike this, showing his commitment to destroying the US Tax code. What are we to make of this ad? Let me try to give a dispassionate analysis first. Many, many positives to it. It's creative. It's certainly not like every other political ad, number one. Number two, it's getting a lot of attention. Media attention, social media attention, mainstream media attention, reviews like this one, the New York Times, elsewhere. Number three, it's visual TV loves that, actually putting something into a wood chip or taking a chance. It's much more visual than most political ads which are talking and text. So it has that going for it. It's consistent with his brand issues he's cared about his whole short political life, but also the life of his father. It's consistent with the brand of libertarian style Republicanism. So there's many, many good things. Plus it shows an emotional connection that's not enough to be against the tax code. He really, really hates it and will do anything to destroy it. So it's a way of connecting emotionally with people who share his viewpoint. So all positives. And in a media environment where any Republican candidate other than Donald Trump is having a harder time getting attention, it cut through. So I give it high marks. As far as an ad for Republican primary, I give it an A. Now, how do we grade this as an ad that could be seen in a general election even if the candidate himself isn't running it? Political opponents, the other party's opponents could be running that. How do we judge it then? I give it more of a mixed bag. On the negative side, it just looks sophomoric to a lot of people. If you're the President of the United States, if you're the most powerfully elected person in the world, you don't have to burn things and do chainsaws to them. You can actually get stuff done through persuasion, through legislation, through power, the bully pulpit. So I think it strikes a lot of people. It's just, frankly, forget sophomore, just childish. It's okay as an activist, it's okay if you're Al sharpton and it's 1986, but for a U.S. senator who's trying to be president, I think it strikes a lot of people as just childish wearing the T shirt. I'm not saying you never should as a candidate, but when you're talking about something as serious as tax policy, it seems a little out of place. In the same way I wouldn't give public speaking tips regularly dressed like this. It looks like I'm going to the beat. It's just too casual and shows a lack of seriousness. And the other problem with it, he opens himself up to attack on the policy grounds because yeah, Everybody's against a 70,000 page tax code but when you completely destroy it and say you just want a flat tax, well, that means no more home mortgage interest deductions. It means no deductions for charitable contributions. And just imagine a candidate trying to run on that platform. So as an ad that could be seen by people in a general election, I give it a C minus. At this point Rand Paul, rightfully so, is only worried about getting through a primary. What do you think of the ad? I'll post it here below. It's on the same page below.
