The Colbert Super PAC -- recently renamed The Definitely Not Coordinating With Stephen Colbert Super PAC -- has released a new ad appealing to voters in South Carolina.
Jon Stewart, who took over the Colbert Super PAC after the comedian decided to explore a presidential run, emailed Colbert supporters Monday night touting the ad, which was "released in advance of the upcoming underfunded GOP Primary." Though the ad -- titled "Not Abel" -- was released by a pro-Colbert group, it encourages South Carolina residents to vote for another Republican in the upcoming primary -- Herman Cain.
"A vote for Herman Cain is a vote for America," the ad says. "He's such a Washington outsider, he's not even running for president."
The ad comes as Colbert pushes forth with his campaign despite the fact that he technically can't run in the South Carolina primary. HuffPost's Amanda Terkel reports:
"South Carolina state law does not allow write-in ballots in presidential primaries. There is no 'blank' space on voting machines to write-in a candidate," said South Carolina GOP Executive Director Matt Moore. "Stephen Colbert has about as much a chance at being elected president in South Carolina as he does of being elected Pope. Zero. It didn't work four years ago, and it won't work now. The gag is worn out."
South Carolina GOP Chair Chad Connelly told The Huffington Post that one upside of Colbert's stunt could be that "maybe some of his audience will watch some of our candidates and learn they're better than Obama and we get some votes out of it."
Though he suspended his presidential campaign in early December 2011, Cain continues to spread his message. He plans to make an appearance at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference on January 19, where he said will make an "unconventional endorsement" in an email to supporters.