Monday, June 05, 2006
THOSE POLITICAL ADS
Coincident with the hurricane season, the season of TV political advertisments is upon us. The Militant Moderate looks forward to neither.
Maybe if we made a rule that all political ads had to be in print form it would reduce some of the nonsense we see on TV and force candidates to tell something of their qualifications for office or personal experiences relevant to government. Maybe not.
Let us take a look at the major points made in the slick, well-done ads now running in the OK.C. market, principally republican but there will be more. What are the points? What do these have to do with governing?
"Teaches a church class." Nice. Very common on both sides. Irrelevant to governing.
"Married 19 years." Is that really better than 10 years. Irrelevant to governing.
"Fight for children's right to pray." They have that right, except the public school may not sponsor the prayer and require others to listen.
"Right to say the pledge of allegiance." Children do that, and so do we all. One guy is testing in court whether "under God," put into the pledge by politicians in 1958, should stay there. This is a constitutional court issue, not a congressional or legislative one.
"Fight for right to life issues." This is basically a constitutional and not a congressional issue. It brings religion into government, and government into private, personal decisions. Will this candidate take the required oath to uphold the constitution if elected?
"Lived and worshiped on the same land." This gives an image of steadfastness, but panders to religion. Is a person living in on one piece of land better qualified than one living on several and worshiping in several churhes?
"Believes in traditional marriage." Doesn't everybody? But some think it is acceptable for persons of the same sex living in the same household to form legal domestic partnerships. Very few, other than gays, favor "gay marriage."
"Believes in traditional Oklahoma values." Don't most of us believe that way? Nobody has a monopoly on family values or on patriotism. If "Oklahoma values" is equated to "redneck values," then that leaves some of us out. Maybe that should be clarified.
"Will not compromise his/her religious values." What does that mean? Governing is not about religious values, but it often involves compromising -- although not about religion because that is constitutionally out of bounds.
"Led a movement to cut taxes." Now, we know what that means? Maybe not. Is that good or bad? Whose taxes were cut? What services were cut --mental hospitals, prison guards, medical examiner's staff, D.A. staff, or what? Or, do we just run up the debt?
The Militant Moderate sees little substance to such ads, regardless of party, but apparently they influence voters. Pity that.
Just wait until the old cliches about "preserving Social Security" come out again in political ads. In the light of those "protectors" efforts to scuttle the system, should we question their intent this time?
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
Maybe if we made a rule that all political ads had to be in print form it would reduce some of the nonsense we see on TV and force candidates to tell something of their qualifications for office or personal experiences relevant to government. Maybe not.
Let us take a look at the major points made in the slick, well-done ads now running in the OK.C. market, principally republican but there will be more. What are the points? What do these have to do with governing?
"Teaches a church class." Nice. Very common on both sides. Irrelevant to governing.
"Married 19 years." Is that really better than 10 years. Irrelevant to governing.
"Fight for children's right to pray." They have that right, except the public school may not sponsor the prayer and require others to listen.
"Right to say the pledge of allegiance." Children do that, and so do we all. One guy is testing in court whether "under God," put into the pledge by politicians in 1958, should stay there. This is a constitutional court issue, not a congressional or legislative one.
"Fight for right to life issues." This is basically a constitutional and not a congressional issue. It brings religion into government, and government into private, personal decisions. Will this candidate take the required oath to uphold the constitution if elected?
"Lived and worshiped on the same land." This gives an image of steadfastness, but panders to religion. Is a person living in on one piece of land better qualified than one living on several and worshiping in several churhes?
"Believes in traditional marriage." Doesn't everybody? But some think it is acceptable for persons of the same sex living in the same household to form legal domestic partnerships. Very few, other than gays, favor "gay marriage."
"Believes in traditional Oklahoma values." Don't most of us believe that way? Nobody has a monopoly on family values or on patriotism. If "Oklahoma values" is equated to "redneck values," then that leaves some of us out. Maybe that should be clarified.
"Will not compromise his/her religious values." What does that mean? Governing is not about religious values, but it often involves compromising -- although not about religion because that is constitutionally out of bounds.
"Led a movement to cut taxes." Now, we know what that means? Maybe not. Is that good or bad? Whose taxes were cut? What services were cut --mental hospitals, prison guards, medical examiner's staff, D.A. staff, or what? Or, do we just run up the debt?
The Militant Moderate sees little substance to such ads, regardless of party, but apparently they influence voters. Pity that.
Just wait until the old cliches about "preserving Social Security" come out again in political ads. In the light of those "protectors" efforts to scuttle the system, should we question their intent this time?
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
