NEWS & OBSERVER article mentions the "lightsaber" commercial

Two days ago it was The New York Times. Then yesterday my hometown paper The Reidsville Review did a story about school board candidates using the Internet... featuring a huge pic on the front page of me from the first commercial wielding my lightsaber. Well, this morning The News & Observer out of Raleigh is the latest to mention my first campaign ad, and I've received word that another pic of me with the lightsaber is on the front page of that paper this morning, too. From the article...

Hopefuls pin hopes on wit
Lynn Bonner, Staff Writer

A mailbox full of wordy fliers, static television commercials and droning robotic telephone calls can take all the excitement out of picking a candidate.

But some campaigns are trying to break through the clutter and grab voters by the funny bone.

Voters in Cary got to see Republican state Rep. Nelson Dollar's head, encircled by hearts, alongside a cruise ship. The ad, which looked like the opening credits of "The Love Boat" television show, poked fun at Dollar's taxpayer-funded trip during the tall ships festival in Beaufort. He later reimbursed the state for the cost.

Vernon Robinson, a Republican congressional candidate, cut a radio ad that's a takeoff on the "Beverly Hillbillies" TV theme, rapping his opponent on illegal immigration.

In a legislative primary in Iredell County this year, Republican Robert Brawley saw himself cast by his opponent as John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever," white three-piece suit and all, alongside what the ad called "Robert Brawley's Worst Hits." It was a reference to an earlier stint Brawley served in the legislature.

Campaigns often use witty ads to criticize their opponents.

(snip)

Not all campaign humor is aimed at someone else. A candidate for Rockingham County school board, Christopher Knight, has gotten free air time outside his county and national attention for a self-produced television ad with a "Star Wars" theme.

In it, a Death Star beam destroys a red schoolhouse while the voice-over talks about the federal legislation, No Child Left Behind, "targeting and destroying our ability to best teach our children."

Knight wields a light saber as he talks about defending the future of the county's children.

Knight, 32, a "Star Wars" fan from Reidsville, said the ad helped him stand out from 15 other candidates running for five at-large seats on the school board. Knight is basking in the attention but said he has heard some say the ad makes him look as if he is not serious enough to be on the board.

"I'm taking it a lot more seriously than a lot of people do in D.C.," he said...

It's now starting to dawn on me, that the image of me and my lightsaber is probably going to be the defining image of my political career for the rest of my life: Truman had his "Dewey defeats..." newspaper, Churchill had his "V for victory" salute, Reagan had his Berlin Wall... and Chris Knight will have his lightsaber :-P