When Does it End
So the day after the primary I saw a political add for Rod Blagojevich. It was the same add that had been playing over and over and over again for the weeks prior to the election so I figured it was just a matter of bulk buying and somehow an extra day got chunked in, not that I believe anyone would accidentally book extra commercials or a television station would accidentally play a commercial that wasn't paid for, but sometimes odd things happen in the buying and selling of non physical properties. (I suppose they happen in the buying and selling of all properties but that is neither here nor there).
So step forward a week later and I am still seeing the same commercial at least once a day. Step forward to yesterday and I see brand new attack advertisements.
The General election isn't until November and already the mud is slinging. The man who is running for to be re elected governor as the nominee of the party I most closely identify with is going to spend inhuman amounts of money between April and November. I'm talking the kind of money that can keep a school in business or do whatever it is most of the most lefty loud mouth people are whining about when money isn't being spent on their particular cause. (I'm liberal, but I get a little nuts every time I hear someone going on about how such and such federal spending should be cut to fund their particular notion of equity).
As a liberal Democrat from Chicago and in a pretty strong position of power one would expect our Governor to be joining the charge for campaign finance reform. Instead everyday, every day light hour from now till November (and maybe a few late nights too) groups like "friends of Rod Blagojevich" or "citizens to re elect the Governor" are going to spend fortunes telling Illinois tax payers that his opponent Judy Baar Topinka is Bad for Illinois.
Don't get me wrong I fully expect Topinka to start attacking Blago just as soon as it is fiscally possible. I guess the Illinois Republican Party doesn't have the war chest that the Governor has.
The entire thing sickens me. There is no down time anymore. And what is the end result? Are the voters better informed. Not at all. Instead we all go to our emotional partisan roots. There is no debate, just the smear campaign.
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So step forward a week later and I am still seeing the same commercial at least once a day. Step forward to yesterday and I see brand new attack advertisements.
The General election isn't until November and already the mud is slinging. The man who is running for to be re elected governor as the nominee of the party I most closely identify with is going to spend inhuman amounts of money between April and November. I'm talking the kind of money that can keep a school in business or do whatever it is most of the most lefty loud mouth people are whining about when money isn't being spent on their particular cause. (I'm liberal, but I get a little nuts every time I hear someone going on about how such and such federal spending should be cut to fund their particular notion of equity).
As a liberal Democrat from Chicago and in a pretty strong position of power one would expect our Governor to be joining the charge for campaign finance reform. Instead everyday, every day light hour from now till November (and maybe a few late nights too) groups like "friends of Rod Blagojevich" or "citizens to re elect the Governor" are going to spend fortunes telling Illinois tax payers that his opponent Judy Baar Topinka is Bad for Illinois.
Don't get me wrong I fully expect Topinka to start attacking Blago just as soon as it is fiscally possible. I guess the Illinois Republican Party doesn't have the war chest that the Governor has.
The entire thing sickens me. There is no down time anymore. And what is the end result? Are the voters better informed. Not at all. Instead we all go to our emotional partisan roots. There is no debate, just the smear campaign.
More Laters
posted by Rich Rosenthal II at 1:58 AM
2 Comments:
One of my college roommie's was one of Dick Durbin's campaign finance managers and she said that nothing else but money makes or breaks an election--credentials, politics, ethics, vision all mean nothing compared to money.
So be glad Illinois has a democrat in the running and let the man spend!!
And Here is where I will have to respectfully disagree with you. Our civic duty isn't just to vote, but to vote our concious. It is my responsibility to find someone worth voting for. If I can draw attention to issues that concern me and if I can help to raise awarness he may be that candidate. If he continues an attack add onslaught until november I will have no choice but to write in another candidate and try to encourage other people to do so as well.
I never wanted to be some kind of idealist activist. Sometimes you just can not accept things as they are.
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