But you don't want to vote for them!

I have purposefully held off from political commentary during this election cycle. For those of you that have been reading this long enough, you know how I feel. After doing many, many posts during the time leading up to  (and after) the presidential elections two years ago - most anything I said would be redundant.

One thing I have noticed during this campaign season even more than the last few (and the prevalance has been increasing for many election cycles) is negative ads. It amazes me how a candidate (and this is about the only thing that is truly bi-partisan) can run a 60 second spot and not tell me any reason I should vote for them except that their opponent is evil personified. The "but I'm not as bad as him/her" reasoning is the word of the day.

I know that experts and pundants say that the reason negative ads are run is, they work. I guess this is like my prior post - that's what they say about spam too - we continue to see it because it gets results. I guess that speaks to the mindset and reasoning power of the average American voter - "don't boggle my mind with issues and solutions, just tell me who is wearing dirty underwear!"

A typical political ad goes something like this...

Joe Blow is killing your children.(picture of dead bodies) Joe blow voted to send every job in America to a small Costa Rican resort, which by the way Joe Blow has taken many free vacations to.(palm trees and then to a picture of Joe Blow in a Hawaiin print shirt with a drink in his hand) Joe Blow wants to raise your taxes to take 110% of your paycheck, while giving billionaires free food at any restaurant they choose.(pictures of homeless people with "Help" signs, then to a fancy restaurant with a well dressed couple eating and laughing)  Joe Blow hates women, gays, blacks, Jews, Christians, whites, Hispanics, heterosexuals, mailmen, dogs, and weevils. (pictures of each flash as the words are read) Wait, he loves weevils! Weevils sound like and have the word evil in their name - JUST LIKE JOE BLOW! (picture of a weevil slowing morphing into Joe Blow) There is some speculation that Joe Blow is a cannibalistic devil worshipping alien that just wants you to have kids so his pod-people friends will have a host for their young! Is Joe Blow really the kind of person you want representing you in government? (picture of Joe blow develops horns) Vote Sam Blow. He is much, much less evil! (cut to a picture of Sam with a small puppy and smiling child) "This message was paid for by Sam Blow" (no relation to Joe)

Vote Tuesday the 2nd. Vote for someone that will do something, not just for the best negative ad.