Political Spots Are Not Legitimate Advertising

I think it is time for those of us who are, or have been, in advertising to say the stuff you see and hear today in American politics is not advertising. It is garbage. I had contact with some people from leading Southern advertising agencies the other day and not one has been handling a political campaign in 2002.

In today's politics, unfortunately, political communications is NOT aimed at influencing people by telling them who a candidate is, or what that person stands for, or hopes to do. The idea of political communications today is to demonize and destroy the opponent. I even heard a radio spot the other day in which a candidate used a distinctively negative attack to claim her opponent was running a negative campaign.

Let me tell you where all this comes from ... it comes from the philosophy of trial lawyers who figure they can win their case before a jury if they can destroy the credibility of the opponent. A trial lawyer doesn't have to prove his client is a good person; all he has to do is convince the jury that his opposition is a bad person. And once the jury votes, his client has won. Today's political handlers - from James Carville on down - are using advertising TECHNIQUES to give American voters negative campaigns aimed at destroying the opponent, rather than telling you the good points of their candidate. As one who comes from a legitimate advertising background, it makes me sick.

This is Gordon Sawyer, and may the wind always be at your back.