I am excited that sometime before today is over the votes will have been counted and the state will have a new governor and new or re-elected senator in office.
I am not heartened by this fact because of any belief that the previously elected officials were doing a poor job. In all honesty, I think that they did a fine job. The reason I am so happy is because it means I no longer have to deal with the advertisements. I’m so damn sick of the ads that run on television, on radio and in newspapers. They attack my senses and leave nothing substantial that I would want to take with me into the voting booth.
With increasing frequency in the last few months, I have found myself inundated with ads for one political candidate or another. More often than not, these as are in place purely to shed a negative light on the candidate’s opponent.
“Mudslinging,” as these ad campaigns are often called, is irritating and diverts the public’s attention away from real issues going on.
I know these ads are just part of the game politicians play, but that fact doesn’t make me any less sick and tired of them.
This year’s senate and gubernatorial race reminds me of high school and the race for student body president. For weeks before the election, signs would be posted throughout school for one candidate or another.
Instead of outlining the said candidate’s stance on issues important to the school, the signs were funny rhymes and colorful adaptations of the other candidate — a more humorous and clever way to sling some mud. State candidates could at least introduce humor to these commercials to keep me entertained.
The campaigns were just glorified personal attacks that left most of the student body indifferent and neutral when it came time to vote.
I think the negative ad campaigns each of the candidates have been running are doing something similar, but on a larger scale. The advertisements are leaving the voters with a bad taste in their mouth, potentially fostering apathy about who becomes the next governor or senator. I’d guess that, like me, the voting public is going to be glad when the advertisements are no longer being run.
Excessive amounts of negative ads are common but leave a lot to be desired in the way of information. In a majority of the advertisements that I have seen, heard or read, a candidate’s credentials are left unstated and instead, the opposition’s inadequacies are accentuated.
This is an especially important election year, seeing how we are in the midst of an economic crisis and the possibility of war is looming in the near future. Through the ad campaigns, what has the public truly heard on any of these topics?
Voting shouldn’t be about whose smear campaign is best. It should be about taking a stance on issues that could potentially affect you — about choosing an elected official that
best represents you and your ideals
in government.
Unless a debate is being held, there should be little or no commentary from one candidate about another candidate. The mudslinging needs to stop, and real issues need to be addressed.
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Her opinions do not necessarily represent those of the Emerald.