--- title: Honest Gil's Kentucky Senate Political Campaign Ad Tells It Like It Is description: A (fake) candidate from an anti-corruption campaign is entering the Kentucky Senate race to highlight the need for campaign finance reform canonical: https://time.com/2989158/honest-political-ad-gil-fulbright-corruption/ author: Denver Nicks article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-07-15T21:05:27.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-01T08:57:49.711Z article:section: Politics og:title: This “Honest Political Ad” is hilarious and sad og:description: A (fake) candidate from an anti-corruption campaign is entering the Kentucky Senate race to highlight the need for campaign finance reform og:url: https://time.com/2989158/honest-political-ad-gil-fulbright-corruption/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4ddc46d33c5aa773/69869be9e8524ba2c3603e73/honest-political-ad-gil-fulbright-corruption.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Honest Political Ad Gil Fulbright Corruption og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: This “Honest Political Ad” is hilarious and sad twitter:description: A (fake) candidate from an anti-corruption campaign is entering the Kentucky Senate race to highlight the need for campaign finance reform twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4ddc46d33c5aa773/69869be9e8524ba2c3603e73/honest-political-ad-gil-fulbright-corruption.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # If Campaign Ads Told the Truth, They Would Sound Like This > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=cd7ee8e9-daed-4ec4-ab73-162c99cf9121&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Honest Political Ads - Gil Fulbright for Senate [Watch (HLS stream): Honest Political Ads - Gil Fulbright for Senate](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/IH9UXtVN.m3u8) (1:43)  _Published 2014-07-15. Honest Political Ads - Gil Fulbright for Senate_  by [Denver Nicks](https://time.com/author/denver-nicks/)  ## Denver Nicks Jul 15, 2014 9:05 PM UTC Honest Political Ads - Gil Fulbright for Senate  by [Denver Nicks](https://time.com/author/denver-nicks/)  ## Denver Nicks Jul 15, 2014 9:05 PM UTC Ever wonder what politicians would [say](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-the-honest-politician-crash-the-most-expensive-senate-race-of-all-time) if they had to always speak the unvarnished truth? Meet Gil Fulbright, (Or Phil Gulbright. Or Bill Fulbright. Or Phillip Mimouf-Wifarts. You’ll understand once you’ve watched the ad). “Honest Gil” is a satirical candidate for the U.S. Senate in the Kentucky race between Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes. Gil plans to rent a campaign bus, take out billboard and TV ads and show up at campaign events in order to make a spectacle of what is poised to be the most expensive Senate election in American history. Fulbright will be the face of Represent.Us, a non-partisan movement claiming 450,000 supporters that wants to pass campaign finance and anti-corruption laws to limit the influence of money on Washington. With 26 days left in its [Indiegogo campaign](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-the-honest-politician-crash-the-most-expensive-senate-race-of-all-time) to raise money for Fulbright’s shenanigans, the group has already busted through its fundraising goal of $20,000. The effort is reminiscent of the Mayday PAC, Lawrence [Lessig’s](http://time.com/2967157/lawrence-lessig-campaign-finance/) new crowd-funded cannibal [Super PAC](http://time.com/84556/lawrence-lessig-superpac/) to destroy all Super PACs. Whatever your position on campaign finance, Fulbright’s commercial is at the very least a funny/tragically spot-on commentary on the state of political discourse in the U.S. ## Transcript Hi, I'm Gil Fulbright. The people who run my campaign, they've made this commercial and I'm in it. This campaign, it's not about me, it's about crafting a version of me that'll appeal to you. A version of visits random work sites with paid actors pointing at things. A version of me that doesn't find old people lonesome. Are pointless. Has a conventionally attractive yet curiously still family. listening to my constituent, legislating, these are things I don't do. What I do is spend about 70 % of my time raising funds for reelection. I'd do anything to stay in office [ UNKNOWN ] My name's Gil Fulbright but hell I'll change my name to Phil Gulbright or Bill Fulbright or Phillip Mamouf- Wifarts. [ MUSIC ] These are the things that are important to me and these are the fine people that finance my campaign. Now, in order to do these things I have to stay in office. To stay in office I have to keep these guys happy. Well, if any of these things make these guys unhappy, well? My hands are tied. So come November, the choice is clear. You want another spineless mouthpiece for special interests and lobbyists? Or a spineless mouthpiece for special interests and lobbying? I'm Phillip Mamouf- Wifarts and I approve this message. 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