Meet the man behind the explosive viral ads for gun-totin’ Dale Peterson and ‘gather your armies’ Rick Barber

Some of the ensuing media firestorm was anticipated.

“You could make a spoken-straight-to-the-camera ad talking in bland terms about the threat of socialism, or you can do something to accent it and get more attention — and that’s what we did,” Walker said. “Rick wouldn’t have taken the stand if he didn’t know he could take the hit.”

Criticism of Barber has been much harsher than that of Phillip or Peterson. The campaign has received hate mail. Keith Olbermann, in a profanity-laced rant during the aforementioned “worst person in the world” segment, called the spot an “incitement of treason,” and announced his hope that Barber would be thrown in jail.

But the ad has had the intended effect, too, so much so that Barber cut a second spot — this time featuring Abraham Lincoln.

“Fundraising has definitely increased,” Walker said. “We’ve made money off both of our ads.”

More importantly, as he travels the district, Barber says his message has begun to precede him.

“I think more than anything our name is out there, people know who we are,” Barber said. “Hopefully we’ll push this into victory.”

It would be a victory not just for Barber, but a big first win for Ehlinger’s slate, too. Phillip and Peterson fell in primary battles, both at third place in their respective races.

But although they won’t be taking office, they did help cement Ehlinger’s reputation as a producer of conservative viral videos.

“I think Ladd has found a niche for himself. I don’t think there are many conservatives that do what he does,” Walker said. “Whether or not we win or lose, Ladd certainly helped make Rick a national name.”

It’s what he hopes to do for others, too. Ehlinger is mum on specifics, but says he is currently working with approximately four additional campaigns. The biggest problem, he says, is finding candidates that are willing to step out on a limb.

“A lot of politicians are boring. And you know, they play it safe,” Ehlinger said. “Mitt Romney’s not going to make a viral video, because he’s too blow-dried. So the main thing is to try to find politicians who aren’t sitting there with memorized talking points.”

And that’s exactly Ehlinger’s advice, for his own clients and for others — ditch the contrived storyline and stop pulling punches. A candidate can’t be everything to everyone, so maybe it’s time to stop pandering and take a stand.

“People respect you when you say what you believe,” Ehlinger said, “even if you’re saying something that a third of the electorate thinks is crazy.”