Chatter With Kate: ATTACK ADS – I CAN'T STAND THEM

Greetings folks. This column has been in hiatus for a while and after thinking about what form it should take for the future, we have decided to keep it as it is and perhaps take a wider look at a broader range of subjects. So, apart from my ‘pesky politicians’ I will take a look at current news and trends, travel (I was a travel writer for a number of years) and personal thoughts and stuff in general. Bless the person who invented the word stuff – it’s a god send. My late mum would not approve as she was very particular with her words. She was a playwright and wrote beautiful thoughts and prayers and poetry.


The subject of this column is as the heading says – the attack ad season is upon us and it’s already driving me mad. I simply can’t see the necessity for the bad language, nasty words and I would like to talk to the people who actually write them. The general subject (content) of these political ads that we are putting up with until November is getting peskier than the last time. I do want to know what a candidate is all about, what they have done in the past and what they think – in their own words – makes them the best person to represent me in Washington DC. However, I don’t want to hear ads on their behalf that quite frankly are rude, aggressive and disrespectful. I know, I am probably barking up the proverbial tree, but as I have said before, these ads show no respect, no dignity and I think they show no class. The other thing that really gets up my nose, (no apologies for this phrase), is the candidate who is always GOING TO CHANGE WASHINGTON. Give me a break please, Washington DC has been like it is (progressively getting worse as the years have gone by) since our founding fathers. They were no different than the current day politicians – in fact they could be even peskier if you read our history. Sure, the place needs some change but it isn’t going to happen quickly. 2008 is a prime example of all the promises of change not really coming to fruition. The tricks and backroom deals are still there and the pesky strategies are still going on. So, when a candidate says they are going to go to Washington DC to change things –I would say to them, please don’t be disrespectful to yourself. They are not going to take any notice of you. If you get elected then don’t expect to change things the day you get there. Quietly work out your own little strategies and study The Art of War and you just might have a chance. Finally, I would like to say this. In our area here in the desert south west, there was a candidate in a local primary for the senate, who came out with some nasty ads and you can’t expect to come out with ads as nasty as they were without people on the other side having a go at you. This candidate did not win the primary although at the start of the crazy season for this, this person was leading. People, from my research, are heartily sick of the ---p! Respect the views of the voting public, we are not stupid and we don’t forget past voting. We are looking for good capable leaders not the pesky kind!

Cheers and go safely out there, Kate

P.S. If you’ve got something to say, and would like to put it up on our blog, let us know. Please keep language civil and remember the libel stuff. Our editor reserves the right to have the final say on column content. K.