I confess...I forget what is advertised on TV when they don't have political ads for four out of five spots. I'm also envisioning the use of assorted digital tools and such to enable political ads in a product placement format...Booth and Bones can talk about a local race (w/ the fancy computers helping tailor it) rather than the gadgets in a Toyota.
Anyway, I have two "thoughts of the day" related to political ads:
Thought One:
I'm living in Southeast PA at the moment. We have busy Gubernatorial , Senate, and House races of our own and our TV stations cover multiple states. It amuses me how many of the ads fail to mention what office the candidate is seeking. Honestly, I had to do a bit of work to figure out which ones applied to me. I know that other races impact me in terms of the balance of the federal government and even at the state level for things like redistricting. But I obviously only get to vote in my specific campaigns.
So, let's add a requirement that ads not only mention their sponsorship but also name the office they are seeking. It's good to say who brought you the message...though I am waiting for one by "Americans Who Like Puppies and Kitties" since not all having clear names...but it seems more important that people know which names will be on their ballot.
Thought Two:
I fully own that this thought is not flushed out AT ALL.
I'm troubled by how much money is spent on political advertising, especially in the cases where mega-millionaires are involved (i.e. E-Bay lady). I think we need a rule requiring that a given amount go to charity for every dollar spent on political ads....ideally charities specifically aimed at the area they seek to represent. I foresee a bit of complexity in making sure the money isn't going to a political charity (even some 501(c)(3)s have pretty obvious political ties) and I'm not sure how to solve it. Maybe the money goes to schools...since we all like schools....or food banks since I think we all like that too.
Like I said, not fully flushed out...I've got the idea, I'll let someone else figure out the details.
(unofficial Thought Three: Click the "Follow" button and follow my blog...'cause I said so)
2 comments:
I've been thinking about this too, and totally agree with you on point one. Not sure on point two, but its an interesting idea. I'd add that I think ads should include the party the candidate is running under. I can understand the desire for a moderate candidate to not want to identify with a specific party to attract a wider ranger of voters, and in an ideal world, party affiliation wouldn't matter as much as personal beliefs. But unfortunately these days the majority of politicians vote along their party's line, so I'd like to know what that is before I agree to putting them in office.
amanda -- my mom & stepdad asked me the other day which guy was on "our side" after a mailing that confused them....i do agree, i don't like voting party-line for its oen sake, but it does matter...especially with balance of power issues
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