General Political Rant

[John225]

I don't know how many of ya'll are having elections this year for statewide office, but here in Louisiana we are electing a new governor, lt. governor, sec. of state, etc., all of the high level offices.

Now, Louisiana politics has always had a reputation for being dirty, nasty and a big mud slinging party. That has, in my opinion, always made it kind of fun, and in a way, endearable (I guess you have to live here to understand that part of it). Anyway, this year it seems to be especially contentious. All of the ads on TV, radio, print media, mailings, etc. are nothing but to tell me how bad the other guy is. This is coming from both political parties. I have seen nothing, or very very little, from either side to tell me what the candidate can, or wants to try to do, for the state in the next 4 years.

Louisiana is facing some different, unique, and challenging years ahead. I mean, 2 of our most populous areas were all but destroyed. I want to know what the candidates plans are. I want that information readily available to me. I don't think I should have to make too much of a concerted effort to find out where each candidate stands on the different issues facing the state. I don't feel I should have to spend an entire day scouring the internet to find out this information, and I'm fairly internet savvy. What of the people that aren't, or don't have access to the internet?

I feel that the amount of money that both political parties is spending on negative campaigning is a travesty. This money could surely be put to better use. Instead of spending X amount of dollars to send me a mailer telling me what you think the other guy has done wrong in his career, spend that money on a mailer telling me what your candidate plans to do about the crime rate, roads, education, health care, re-building the state to the greatness it once had and can have again. That's what I want to hear about.

Trust me, I don't plan on just ranting here. I also plan on ranting to the local offices of both parties. I doubt that it will get me anywhere, but as a registered voter in a state I love, I feel that I have the right to let them know how I feel.

Does this kind of thing go on in other areas of the country? I know it does in Michigan, as I was there last year right before their gubanatorial election and got to see some of their TV ads.

OK, rant over.

[jfrenaye]

Up here it depends. The closer the race the more mud will be slung. If there is a clear cut favorite (in the polls) they will be more apt to talk on the issues and "take the high road". But if there is no clear cut favorite, the assumption is that all things are equal and the winner will be the one with less skeletons in the closet. THe opponent's job is to find them and sling the mud to expose them.

Sad but true!

[Loonbeam]

There's a sad fact about negative versus positive advertising. Negative is more effective. Disgusting, but true. Negative images just stick in people's heads better.

It's easier to say - John Smith is immoral, a jerk and does not floss his teeth - than to lay out a health care plan for people with 30 second attention spans.

[the dark knight]

It seems to me that raising obscene amounts of money for one's campaign (and bragging about it), mudslinging, and negative advertising is mandatory for anyone to possibly....win most any election to some local and most state or national offices. That does suck. The higher the level and/or the office, the more of this...stuff...there is. Rarely do the issues really get discussed (or are really cared about) at any time, it seems to me.
John, you are absolutely right. Unfortunately, until a candidate cleanly (without controversy and/or cheating or computer error) wins a major-level office like President or maybe US Senator from a "major" state without doing any of the above or needing to raise and spend (in my opinion) unnecessarily huge amounts of money for the campaign (see Jesse Ventura in Minnesota a few years ago), things will not change in this area. And more money gets wasted.
I believe the movies Head of State with Chris Rock and Bernie Mac, and more recently, Man of the Year with Robin Williams show how a third party candidate could win, though such seems more like fantasy that (razor slim) possibility, in this day and age.
If Senator Clinton and/or Senator Obama were running as independent or third party candidates for President instead of as Democrats (or Republicans if either were such) and either or both had (most) of the support and financial backing they currently have and will have later, the current race for the President would be very different, I think.

[mercwyn]

Part of the issue comes down to what can you say in the 30 second sound bite that people will remember. The easiest thing to say is something damning about your opponent because you don't have to explain much, just throw the mud at him. Given that the electronic media of TV and radio, both the paid ads and the news coverage, tends to focus on short sound bites, rather then in-depth reporting, it is very difficult to find out anything meaningful about the people who want to run our cities, counties, states and country.

[empress4bb]

John
Don't know if it's positive or negative imagery but I am so going to try to carve your pumpkin avatar for Halloween. I'm sure it will be remembered but forget having the grandkids over