Negative Advertising

I find it so depressing to learn that negative "Swift Boating" advertising works. Karl Rove and his protegee (who is advising McCain) must be dancing in the streets today.

The latest polls show that McCain, who was 9 points behind Obama, has bridged the gap with his barrage of negative ads and is now tied. What is the matter with people? I may be jaded, but I have very little confidence with the intelligence of the average voter. If they are so easily swayed by disgusting ads playing on the worst impulses in our society I hold no hope for democracy.

Remember the ad that brought down that very handsome black candidate, Harold Ford, in the last election? It showed a white bimbo whispering into a phone saying, "Call me Harold." This was a 'not-so-subtle' message of an 'uppity black man who would dare to date your white daughter". The voters got it; they defeated Ford who had been ahead prior to this ad.

Did you see that ad with Brittney Spears and Paris Hilton? If anyone thinks that the ad with Brittney, Paris and Barack was not a more insidious version of the same ilk, they are very naive. Then, to cap it, a smirking McCain says it was just injecting a bit of humor into the race. I didn't find it funny. Did you?

How can you possibly defeat this kind of racist message under the guise of humor? If Obama complains or explains, he is the one accused of injecting racism into the campaign. We all know that racism was there from the moment he showed his face. HE'S BLACK !

I don't know which of my emotions is strongest at this point. I am furious, disgusted and depressed. I thought that the public said they didn't want any more of this kind of negative campaigning; then why are they falling for it? My only hope is that it backfires and people begin to wake up.

I just read a review of Kevin Costner's latest movie, Swing Vote, dealing with this subject. At the risk of promoting a movie I haven't seen yet, I do think anyone who is interested in this subject should see it.