Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Going negative on negative

I don't know about where you live but several months out from the November election, the negative political ads here in Colorado are hard to avoid and harder to stomach.
Based on an internal poll comprised of myself, if everything said in these ads are true, every candidate is a no-good lowlife crook. With the primary a few days a way, both the Democrats and the Republicans have perfected the concept of the circular firing squad. Ready, shoot, aim.
The general campaign promises to be worse. Before proceeding, here's one definition of "Negative" that I found today.
"Damaging; or intended to discredit, especially without positive or helpful suggestions."
Along with the negative advertising come the perfunctatory news stories about whether negative advertising works, which includes the perfunctatory sound bytes from Political Science Professors saying that indeed, going negative is a positive.
Class dismissed.
That may have been true in the past, buy not anymore. I won't pretend to speak for anyone but myself but I'm sick of it and believe you are too.
I've attended several candidate forums sponsored by the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce, at the most recent of which a candidate came out in support of private sector job creation. Talk about taking a bold position. Later that day I saw one of that candidate's ads blasting an opponent. In neither forum did the candidate actually say what they'd do to solve some of our current problems.
Bad mouthing and platitudes are so much easier. I'm not buying it, and in fact demand a refund.
I'll support any candidate who will actually say what their goals are, and what they'll at least try and do to achieve them. One problem. I can't find any candidate willing to do this.
But I'll keep my eyes open.
But this is the year that going negative is going to backfire on a lot of politicians. It's about time.
Brian Olson
Conversation Starters LLC
"We start the conversation about you"

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