I hate political adds

[Moose Knight]

Political adds are truly the most un-informative, mind numbing spectacle of mental degeneration ever. Truly. Not only could I learn more about the various candidates political views from, say, People magazine, but the ads are often flat out distortions/lies. I don't care whether they're Pro-Bush, Pro-Kerry or whatever, I still think they're crap.

I can't believe these ads are even effective (They obviously do work somewhat, else candidates wouldn't run them). The adds tend to be more emotion-oriented rather than sticking to facts. Or, if they do use facts, its in an extremely distorted way.

Take one of the current Anti-Kerry adds for example. The line in this that really makes me mad at the world is "...while campaigning, John Kerry missed over 2/3 of all senate votes." The key is 'while campaigning'. While Campaigning John Kerry missed votes. This is almost as inane as that "Al Gore says he invented the internet" stuff from 2000. People believed that, so people will probably overlook the "while campaigning" and hear only "missed 2/3 of all votes." I know I did, the first time I saw the ad.

Another add, which I saw for the first time today, dissapointed me. It was an anti-Bush add. It had the "Big Corporation" person saying something about how he likes all the tax breaks he gets (leaving the 'working man' with no money), and how it profits off of failed medicare coverage for the eloderly or something. He goes on to claim that he is a bush supporter. They paint the Bush supporter as a realy horrible person in this ad. Imagine a political ad with a neo-nazi skinhead type saying "I support George Bush," then at the end of the ad saying "George Bush tortures babies and small animals, vote for Kerry." That's what this ad was like, to me.

Does anyone else agree that political adds are really unneccessary?

******UPDATE******
I realize now I can't spell. Do you pluralize "ad" with 's' or 'ds?'

[escobert]

I agree that they should be atleast toned down to just stating facts or not be there at all. It's like a debate but everyone just laughs because they're so stupid.

[nik0tine]

one trick ive seen used while we were electing governors in arizona was something like this.

"candidate #1 said I... hate people who aren't white"
in actuality candidate one said "i dont hate people who arent white" but in text format they can make it look like he said he hated people of color by removing the word 'dont' and adding a '...' its a disgusting and low way to attract votes. what kind of people are we voting for anyways!?

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

Political machinations at their best (or worst). Don't worry, I don't think honesty and gentlemanly conduct will be any more attractive in the next twenty years than it is now.