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On my way to dropping off my 7th grader at the junior high this morning, he asked, out of the blue,
“Where do you get a yard sign for the election?”
He meant the “Vote for XX” signs that some of our neighbors have started decorating their front lawns with since a couple of months ago. Just so you know: So far I have not spotted a single sign for a democratic party candidate in our subdivision.
“Why?”
“Well, I want to vote for this guy ________ or maybe this guy _________, ah, I can’t remember his name, who was running for the senate [He’s not; the person my son was referring to is running for the Governor]. He has been a congressman [Correction: He’s a state senator] for a long time, and now he’s risking it all to run for this, this thing so that he can help the country. He’s risking it all to run for this. And I want to vote for him…”
“Wow. I am impressed. How do you know all about this? Did anybody come to school to talk to you? [They’d better not, of course!]”
“No. I just heard it from all the political ads on TV.”
Seriously? When did they watch so much TV? I am not bragging but we have PBS on in the morning and after school when my 7-year-old watches TV. The TV is seldom on when I am home after work or even on the weekends. How many political ads are run within a two-hour window during prime time?!?
“Well, you know, that’s the danger of watching and believing these ads: what if you’ve only seen the ads from one side and then you would have only heard the opinions from one side.” I gingerly prodded him in the right direction, I hope, as I cringed.
“I don’t like all of those ads attacking people; they picked up one word from somewhere and then they just totally blew it up and made it into a big deal. This guy, what’s his name, did not do that in his ad and I want to vote for him.”
So there you have it: He decided on his candidate by watching the ads on one night when we were drinking too much wine at a fundraising event. Although my son is only 12 years old, I believe the way he received information about the candidates (Promises only with no evidence to back them up. Punchline rules!) and how he decided WHOM to vote for is not that uncommon.
The modern elections are still run, largely, by air time. And this election is going to see the massive impact by the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling this January to allow corporations to spend unlimited funds to elect and defeat candidates.
Before the Supreme Court’s landmark campaign finance ruling in January, nonprofit groups…, able to accept unrestricted contributions from individuals and corporations, had been limited to broadcasting ‘issue ads’ and barred from ‘express advocacy,’ advertisements that directly urge voters to elect or defeat specific candidates.
Now… third-party groups in growing numbers have been flocking to this sharper form of messaging in the closing weeks of the campaign.
“Groups Push Legal Limits in Advertising”, 17 October 2010, New York Times
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“Pedro offers you his protection.”
“Vote for me, and all your wildest dreams will come true.”
These campaign slogans still make me chuckle.
In the movie Napoleon Dynamite, the idea of uber-dork-100%-uncool Napoleon wowing the crowd with a surprise performance and thus helping his good friend Pedro win the class president election is rather endearing and satisfies our urge to root for the underdogs.
However, as I bit my lip to refrain from going into a tirade in the car, I questioned how scary it would be if this idea were to apply to real politics:
Let’s see who can put up the best show and have it run over and over again until repetition turns the message into the de facto fact because the alternative has been droned out.
My latest post is about why I’m going to the Rally to Restore Sanity. My head spins when I try to read about the issues and compare politicians, especially when I know that virtually everything they say is for the purpose of getting elected and that lobbyists are taking over the world anyway and that most people vote for someone because their brother-in-law told them some bullshit things about the other candidate and they believe it. But I do agree that everything is cooler in NYC. Or just more expensive.
Renee Fisher recently posted…Why Ill be at The Rally to Restore Sanity
I LOVE that post! I have so much admiration for your brains and level-headedness. I am full of hot air here so I appreciate clarity when I come across it. 🙂
Ugh. Politics run by money and ads and misinformation and sound bites and taglines and freaking MARKETING.
So sad that nobody knows the issues, hears the debate, or listens to the pros and cons.
Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh. Yuck.
Naptimewriting recently posted…Center of the Universe
My 7yo had a solution. After watching prime time TV for an hour and 100+ political attack ads, he said, “Mom, they should just have a website where you can go read about what everybody has to say about the important questions.”
Isn’t that what Bush did?
Fuck, I miss home. UK politics are so dull.
“Well, my opponent is a lovely chap, of course.”
“No no, Mr Primer Minister, YOU’RE the lovely chap, I just hope to out-lovely you someday.”
It’s all so…pinky raised in the “smoking room”.
I miss a good political battle.
Plus I fancy Obama when he’s angry.
– B x
The Barreness recently posted…Why women suck Unless they dont Im hoping we dont
And the wigs! How can anyone be genuinely be mad at anyone else when you are screaming at someone that’s wearing that ridiculous wig!
I go in and pull all the levers and sometimes I crawl on the floor underneath the curtain of the person voting next to me. Oh wait, I live in DC. We don’t vote for things like this, so I was flashing back to when I was a New Yorker.
It doesn’t say taxation without representation on our license plates for nothing.
Everything is so much cooler in New York City.
My beloved California has a few issues now- but we are going to get through them. Right after the next really big earthquake. But until that comes I am going to base my vote on which candidate looks the most like the chicken nuggets my kids eat.
Jack recently posted…Things You Should Know About Me-Stuff I think About
Sadly I cannot decide either who looks MORE like those chicken nuggets…
You should be so proud your son at age 12 has the wherewithal to sort through the propaganda; he certainly shows all signs of a thoughtful person! The commercials this year make me physically ill. They are beyond the pale and I hate to tell you how many people think this stuff is true. Yes, that would be my in-laws.
Meg at the Members Lounge recently posted…Strike a Pose
Yes. Remember: 5% of the population in this country is crazy.
Yeah where do you get one of those signs.
linlah recently posted…the sweetest thing
LOL. let me know when you find out! 😉
I go into the booth, take out my magik 8 ball and shake it at the ballot. If that doesn’t work I close my eyes and point. I figure what the hell… cant be any worse, can it?
Holly B recently posted…Im Moving Out
In some states from what I have read definitely true. Sigh.
I think you hit the nail on the head at the last of your post. The candidate with the most money puts his ad in your face over and over until that is the only person you remember at the polls. I am skipping over lots of stuff but that seems to be the ad campaign goal.
Technobabe recently posted…Another New Experience
Remembering the name of the candidates itself seems to be a major hurdle to overcome for the less prominent positions!
i had that vote for pedro t-shirt! ND is one of my faves of all time.
these ads are why i only watch TV via the DVR. all negative. and we wonder why there’s so much hating going on in our society. why don’t these supposed leaders stand up and act respectable, try to win based on a positive platform.
of course if they play sax and talk about blow jobs, this works for me and just puts the whole country in a better mood.
pattypunker recently posted…corporate executives can blow me
If they play sax and can guarantee blowjobs they have my vote- but than again I am biased.
Jack recently posted…Things You Should Know About Me-Stuff I think About
I’m tempted to vote for the person who annoys me the least and has the less vindictive political adds! It says something about a candidate when they have to sink to those levels, but I still pay attention to the important things. Makes me crazy we’re going to end up with the same old cowboy of a Govenor again!
SisterMerryHellish recently posted…The Birds and Bees Talk – Please Stop Pointing- Mom!
Great point your son made…. as for how choose who to vote for, very tough call each time. Sometimes I just close my eyes and pick one.
You are right. Very tough call. I was going through a candidate’s “platform” subject by subject: check. check. check. check. check. until I came to the item that says “supports gun rights”. I guess if you do do your research, you will end up not finding any candidate that confirms 100% to what you believe in. So now it comes down to WHAT issues are the priorities for me and go from there. I am so exhausted just typing this comment…
Thank you so much for visiting and commenting!
I wish my television had a button on it that said “I ALREADY VOTED” so I could just skip all the political ads. This from someone who has managed political campaigns, who sits on her local board of elections, who was a heartbeat away from being her political party’s county party chair, until she grabbed her escape parachute…
Andrea @ Shameless Agitator recently posted…Blogiversary
So let alone the regular folks who are allergic to politics, right? *sigh*
A button for that function sounds like a fantastic idea! Go patent it now!
I work in government and work in the state capitol. I have a very up close and personal view of the politicians. I chuckle often when I see the campaign ads on TV. Politics is a dirty business. The ads do not reflect the reality. You will notice that rarely the candidate themselves will make the attack, it is usually their surrogates.
Velva recently posted…La Divas Heartthrob
This is what amazes me: you are not jaded nor are you cynical (or at least not completely) and you remain passionate about things that truly matter. My hat’s off to you! (or my wig)
I am so friggin’ sick of the ads for governor running in my state. They drive me bonkers and make me want to slap both of the candidates.
I’m Unknown Mami and I approved this comment.
Unknown Mami recently posted…I Comment Therefore I Am
Vote for Mami! Mami for California Governor! You can still wear your paper bag and you’ll still do a better job!
“Let’s see who can put up the best show and have it run over and over again until repetition turns the message into the de facto fact because the alternative has been droned out.” But isn’t this exactly how it often goes?
secret agent woman recently posted…The show begins
Yes, you are right! But without limits on spent, there are a lot more ads sponsored by special interest. of course they don’t let you know these ads are sponsored by special interest…
I think you might be onto something: Let’s have each candidate give a short speech and then do a skit and then we’ll vote. And then we’ll have cake and a pinata!
Diane Laney Fitzpatrick recently posted…Moles- Warts and All
Sounds lovely, eh? Cake does make everything better…
Television is a dark scary place. Perfect arena for a political candidate. On that note, I tend to vote for the one who doesn’t offend me AS MUCH as the others.
Lesser of the two evils. Yup.
It’s the TV ad campaigns that have really turned me off politics. I certainly don’t want to be apathetic and not vote. I take my right to vote very seriously. Somedays I just have a very hard time getting through the BS so I can figure out what’s really going on.
Erica@PinesLakeRedhead recently posted…Recent Reads
SAME HERE!!!!
Love how kids decide who to vote for. My son (at ) was very pro Obama. Reason being that he agreed it was “time for a change”. His innocence and concern were adorable to me.
Nevermind that we didn’t agree on candidate choices…….
Nancy@ifevolutionwork recently posted…To All You Non-Volunteers…
For a while my youngest was rooting for mccain (*GASP*) because he thought McCain looked like a grandpa and he was worried that he might lose and become really sad and have a heart attack….
I vote for whichever team is wearing the coolest looking uniforms. No wait, that’s who I cheer for in football.
OK, I remember! I find out where the candidates live, then I knock on their door and ask them to explain to me what they stand for in 5 minutes or less, using only words that end in vowels.
Well, I used to before the restraining order.
Stupid restraining orders.
Tom G. recently posted…The Evolution of Social Media
That actually would have been better: an elevator speech delivered by the candidates!
I kinda feel like your son. I get so tired of the ads that attack. It takes a lot out of me, I guess. And I cannot believe how many political ads are on tv! And how many phone calls we’ve taken! I can’t wait for it all to be over.
You got calls? Now I feel jilted.
(JUST KIDDING!)
I’m here, suffering, in the land of Big-Bucks Meg Whitman and repeat Jerry Brown. California is going down the toilet mighty fast.
I vote by mail, but have been putting it off for a week now. Voting, for me, in the last decade or so is more about choosing the lesser of two evils. This year I fear there is little choice at all.
“We need a law that will permit a voter to sue a candidate for breach of promise.” ~Unknown
Kernut the Blond recently posted…Spam- It’s Not Just For Dinner Anymore
I don’t envy Californians. Ugh, indeed.
I LOVE the quote!
Californians are awesome, especially those that live in Los Angeles.
Jack recently posted…Things You Should Know About Me-Stuff I think About
The way I decide, I give one candidate the right nostril, the other the left – and start diggin’!
Whoever produces the most “gold” wins my vote.
Simple!
I put my right pinkie in, I put my right pinkie out, I put my right pinkie in and I wiggle it all about. I do the pokie pokie … … …
p.s. Just don’t swallow it! LOL 🙂
Great point you make. And I love this sneak peak into what it’s like to have a 12-year-old. When I was awake for an hour in the middle of the night FOR NO APPARENT REASON, I was thinking of all of this. The political climate (i.e. people wanting things to be perfect in a very short time) was making me so angry I started to compose something on my iPad. Then I went back to sleep!
Jana @ Attitude Adjustment recently posted…The Joneses in My Head
You woke up for no reason why the young ones were asleep? Ugh. I hate that: it’s like you’re wasting this great opportunity to catch up on precious sleep. kwim?
Kudos to you! If I had an iPad I would be goofing off instead of writing about social justice!
That’s why I’m voting for Snooki.
Elly Lou recently posted…The Language Archive
Yup. I may be down with that. She is a minority you know: she writes in “tanned” whenever she has to fill in a race. She said so herself…
Tanned as a minority…..it’s about time!
Catherine recently posted…Lighten up for cryin’ out loud