New Rick Perry Ad Lambasted on YouTube, Facebook

Rick Perry's latest advertisement, a 30-second YouTube video entitled "Strong," is receiving a barrage of negative attention from Internet users. The video, uploaded Tuesday, Dec. 6, has now been viewed nearly 750,000 times. Roughly 4,000 users (2% of responders) liked it — while 192,000 (98%) disliked the ad.

The spot features Perry, Governor of Texas and presidential hopeful, accusing President Obama of waging a "war on religion." He goes on to claim that there is something "wrong in this country" when gay members of the military are allowed to serve openly, but schoolchildren cannot "openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school."

Comments on the YouTube video have been disabled by his campaign, but Perry's staff has left an open thread about the video on his official Facebook page. The majority of Facebook comments have been negative, ranging from disappointment to outright hostility.

Some Twitter users reported Thursday that Perry's Facebook wall was recently changed to "open" — meaning anyone could post anything they wanted.

Screenshots depicting a series of gay pornographic images posted on Perry's Facebook wall were shared on Twitter and other networks. As of Thursday, however, no such images could be found on Perry's wall.

The online response to the ad has brought Perry's views on homosexuality into the spotlight. CBS News reports that the Log Cabin Republicans, a Republican gay and lesbian organization, has criticized the ad. Meanwhile, pro-gay parody videos of Perry's video have appeared on YouTube.

Perry isn't the only contender for the Republican nomination who has come under fire for a stance on homosexuality. Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, another contender for the 2012 Republican Party nomination, is an outspoken opponent of gay marriage and LGBT rights.

But Bachmann's campaign has rarely posted material on gay rights to any of her social media accounts. There is one video from a press conference where she expresses disapproval for Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker's decision to overturn Proposition 8, California's ballot measure which banned gay marriage in that state. That video has only 6,320 views, with 29 likes (31% of responders) and 65 dislikes (69%). 

One Bachmann-related YouTube video did go viral last week, featuring the activist's 8-year-old son, Elijah, approaching Bachmann at a campaign event and telling her "my mom is gay and she doesn't need fixing," leaving Bachmann stunned.

That video has also been spreading rapidly, although the like/dislike response hasn't been as intense as that of the Perry ad. The "Elijah" video currently has around 3,413,700 views, with 7,243 likes (72% of responders) and 2,798 (28%) dislikes.

So is it true in politics that all publicity is good publicity? Or does it damage a campaign when a video goes viral but attracts a significant negative response, like Perry's? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.