Political Advertising is Amazingly Terrible

Sunday, September 28th, 2008
by Josh L

6.2 million. What does this number mean to you? Could it be the number of American teachers in 2004? Is it the number of residents in Nashville, Tennessee? Astonishingly, the number represents something far more important; as of yet, political interest groups have spent around $6.2 million on TV advertisements for state and local ballots.

Political advertising is a waste.

Isn’t it a waste of time to give a speech about financial prosperity, economic success, or lowering taxes, when the candidates themselves are wasting millions of dollars on pointless advertisements? The buzz around the nation is the [now] unstable economy. From the stock market to mortgage companies, everything is going haywire. Economists even go as far as mentioning that devilish word: recession.

Meanwhile, as this nation is being financially flipped upside down, and the front page of the newspaper includes the picture of a crying stockbroker, we have “wonderful”, “goal-oriented” presidential candidates, that of course, lead by example.

“…the more Americans prosper, the more America prospers.” Barack Obama uttered these words in September of 2007 in New York, NY. If the prosperity of Americans determines the prosperity of America, then what say Obama of his own finances? If we compare the quote to Obama himself, being an American, then where is the prosperity? After all, the benefit of the people equals the benefit of the nation… right?

Wrong. Obama is too busy putting together poor-quality iMovies to air on national television. The commercials probably last about 15 seconds, and the most well thought out phrase in the entire ad is, “I’m Barack Obama, and I approve this message.” Yet the price cap to air one of these pointless ads can be up to $200,000 for 30 seconds.

If a presidential candidate is going to spend that much on advertisements, the least they can do is make it a meaningful commercial! It’s already out there, right!? Wrong. Instead of making a statement that will truly impact Americans, and a primary goal, Obama’s catchphrase is “Don’t vote for John McCain, because I don’t like him. His shoes don’t match his belt. I’m Barack Obama, and I approve this message.”

John McCain isn’t off the leash either. McCain plans to improve everything from health care to small businesses, while he is off wasting millions on advertisements himself. I don’t know how he plans to follow through on his whole plan of reform, that is unless he’s able to pass a bill that makes it legal to purchase things with Monopoly money.

A perfect depiction of the presidential candidates would be the following:

The scene could open up on a huge stage, such as the Staples Center or something. The lights would be overwhelmingly bright, and would dim to a normal setting. At that time, smoke would arise from the stage, but not just any smoke; top of the line smoke. Then, fireworks would go off, in about fifteen different colors for about three hours. Then, finally, before the candidates take the stage, little midgets could do cartwheels across the stage, followed by a clown on a unicycle. Then, the climax: the candidates arise, seemingly out of nowhere, (when in reality they arrived to the stage through a couple-thousand dollar gizmo that elevates them), and they take sides. Then, as they ramble on about their plans, hundred-dollar bills fall from their pockets, and by the time they finish ranting about who knows what, there’s about $6.2 million lying on the stage floor.

Think about it. Think to the last political advertisement you saw. What was it about? Who supported it? Was it even worthwhile? Then think about the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on those ads. Meanwhile, there are children all around the nation that don’t even have textbooks to go to school. There are people that suffer all kinds of sicknesses, yet hear the three words they dread the most: “You aren’t covered.”

Food for thought: The CMAG, Campaign Media Analysis Group, predicts by the presidential election, over $3 billion will have been spent on political advertising.

We need to think.

Joshua Lopez

Photo Credit: dhammza

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