Posted by: Brent James on February 18, 2008
It is generally much easier to smear your opponent than to articulate a cogent, attainable plan assuring America’s prospects for a bright future. The closer to election time, the more pointed the attacks.
Attack ads are not new. Those of you old enough to remember the 1960 race for the president, may recall that even in the hotly contested race between then-Vice-President Richard Nixon and Senator John F. Kennedy, the gloves came off.
In our current race, the gloves have been off for quite some time. With all the unsubstantiated claims, mud slinging, and new revelations, it is vitally important that we use all wisdom and discernment in making a values match.
Here is another classic political ad from the 1960 presidential election.
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Posted by: Brent James on February 18, 2008
The only thing new about modern political ads is the improvement in production values. Other than that, they are just electronic sandwich boards. People we don’t really know, make promises that are often forgotten by the time they take office. Often, those promises are not in their power to fulfill, but ultimately reliant upon the consent of the governed.
That’s no reason to tune out, however. We should listen well, because political ads present the subtle “between-the-lines” kind of candidate information not found in most other sources. Our questions should be, “How is this idea or promise going to affect America? How will it then affect me or my family?” “How does this candidate’s pitch square with my values?”
Take a look at John Kennedy’s classic political ad from 1960. Rather tame and polite by today’s standards. He was running for president and had strong ideas about the affordability of senior healthcare. Sound familiar?
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