Political Ads

In about two days, we will go to the polls and vote. A lot of people have already voted, but I am a traditionalist, and I will vote on Tuesday. I know how I will vote in most races, but not all, including the big one. I keep going back and forth. I may just flip a coin, and I know that is not the way it should be. You should be passionate about who you vote for. It should be a time for a new direction. Unfortunately, since there is no incumbent, both main candidates are looking at a new direction. But, I just wanted to take a moment to discuss political commercials. Of course, everyone has seen the national ads. They are everywhere. One thing you immediately notice is they don't talk about themselves. They say bad things about their opponent. I guess they divert the attention away from themselves, since they have little to say about themselves. You may not know this about campaigns, but every real campaign has handlers. These are people who frame the message of the candidate. Very few candidates write their own speeches. These people look at polls and target audiences, and then frame the candidate's message. I knew a guy who was the main handler for the first President George Bush. He was known for shaping ads to make his candidate look good in comparison to his opponent, who was dirt. The country elected Bush, because they didn't want to vote for the other guy. If the candidate fears he or she is going to lose, they lash out at their opponent and say just about anything, short of accusing them of murder. Although, I think some candidates have done that before in their ads. The problem is that you can say just about anything about your opponent, and then your opponent has to defend themselves and get off of their own message. If you ever had questions about evolution, look at what happens to a dog, when he is threatened, and then look at a political candidate, when they are attacked. It is the same reaction. When I lived in Texas, those candidates were brutal, when they referred to their opponents. My favorite was a radio ad that I heard. The man said that his opponent was "no good". I think that sums it up. He didn't have to give specifics. All he had to say was he is "no good". I wish our guys today can be that honest. Who cares if a candidate voted with Bush 90% of the time? Maybe he is a Republican, as Bush is. Who cares if a candidate knows a "domestic terrorist"? Maybe he was just there. Just say that you are going to make our lives better, which you can't do without Congress, and say the other candidate is "no good".