Here are two particularly nasty ads running on southern Oregon television by candidates who have gone with "smackdown" ads. This first is for Democrat Carol Voisin, running for a safe GOP seat in Oregon's Second District. (and, yes, I voted for her.)
One thing that's neat about this one is Rickie Lee Jones (of "Chuck E's in Love") sings the tune in a old school jazz style. Check out Ms Voisin's site and link on to the first "Had Enough" ad on the sidebar below her statement.
http://www.voisinforcongress.com/index.html
Wasn't that fun? (OK, only guilty fun. I feel bad already for putting the link up. ) Did you catch the inference that her opponent should be led off by men in white coats and chucked into some psych prison? Pretty subtle, eh?
In the interest of getting men and women of good will in both major parties ticked off at me, I enclose a weblink to the site of Jim Feldkamp, who is facing an unhill battle against Democrat Peter DeFazio in the Beaver States' District 4, centered around Eugene.
Check out this guy's "bobblehead" ads--as mentioned before in an earlier posting. You have to "love" the fact that in both cases neither of the candidates say anything about themselves in these ads. I read recently that negative ads work because (using studies) people inclined to vote for one person will watch negative ads directed against their candidate and become depressed and somewhat less likely to vote. Seeing a slap-down ad full of half truths and grainy images of someone a voter is likely NOT to endorse, however, will increase the likelihood that we will vote for the candidate sponsoring the ad.
The smug-looking Mr. Feldkamp and that up-tilted camera angle ( usually reserved for villians in movies) tells me he's quite in love with himself.
I think it would be nice if we we required all major party candidates, as a condition for running these negative ads on the public airwaves, to also be required to percipitate in person in the same studio or stage in at least one 90 minute televised debate with their opponent (no matter what their lead in the polls!)
Said debate should take place a few days before the election. That way the "character assassins" (er, would-be statespersons and honorable members of the Congress) would be questioned by journalists on local and national issues--and also at least face their opponents eye-to-eye and defend their ads.
For those who couldn't download these ads on their respective sites, take heart. I'm sure there are negative ones almost as bad playing thru Tuesday at a television screen near you.
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