Dirt may deliver, but it's not right
Liar. Radical. Extremist. We've heard more of these words than we would like this season. Five days before the election, negative campaign ads continue to poison our airwaves, mailboxes and voice mail.
To many it seems worse this year, and the facts bear that out. According to the Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks congressional and Senate races nationwide, negative ads by Republicans focusing on policy have increased compared with 2008 campaigns, and personal attacks by Democrats have nearly doubled. In Illinois, candidates in both parties are going for the jugular against opponents in local and state races as well. Debates have been live versions of the vitriol.
There are reasons for the upsurge in attack ads. Earlier this year, for one, the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision made it easier for corporations and special interests to create and fund campaign ads ads that the candidates may or may not know about. Moreover, hotly contested races tend to generate more “attack” advertising, because, unfortunately, it gets people elected or more accurately, it keeps some candidates from getting elected. With a stalled economy and millions of people still looking for jobs, the stakes are high. Realistically, candidates cannot explain how they would make Illinois whole again in a 30-second TV or radio spot. But it's plenty of time to point out a rival's blemishes.
Candidates have difficulty getting attention by simply touting their experience, qualities and plan of action. Some say they had intended to take the high road but got punched and felt they had to punch back. Far from being models of decency in politics, the parties themselves have delivered some of the most searing ads. They and the candidates they support are masters of the out-of-context quote, and they're quick to state wild assumptions about their foes.
Effective as the practice may be for an individual race, it's causing serious damage to democracy in the long run, increasingly turning off the mass of voters who want to be engaged in a more constructive political dialogue. But it's not likely to change soon. The high court isn't going to back off its decision, and candidates show no sign of putting civility before victory.
Candidates who have chosen to remain above the fray deserve praise. Those who can't resist the temptation of a counterattack, well, we will have to keep working on them. Not long after Tuesday, just as we voters begin to catch our collective breath, hundreds of suburban candidates will start campaigning for local elections in April. It's frightening to think they may take their cues from this campaign.
It may help to follow a recent Fence Post writer, who finds humor in the ads: “Hey, by making me laugh, the ads nudge aside whatever stress I'm enduring at the moment.” But a little less stress is small consolation. Let's keep striving for more.