As a protest against the nasty campaigns waged, former Virginia Beach Clerk of Court J. Curtis Fruit did not vote in last week’s elections. From The Virginian Pilot:
But in a letter to The Virginian-Pilot published the day before the election, and in an interview Thursday , Fruit said he is appalled by the recent spate of local political ads.
“I have seen so much garbage in print and on the TV from other candidates running that the only way I can think to show my disgust is to stay at home on Election Day,” Fruit wrote. “I used to be a politician. I never resorted to the dishonest attacks being used nowadays. Frankly, I am ashamed at the outright lies and distortions being used by both political parties.”
I can understand why Fruit feels the way he does. I know others who felt the same way. Every campaign season is described as the “worst” anyone has ever seen, but this year’s ads were particularly nasty. It’s no wonder that so many chose to sit this one out.
Joel Rubin attacked these ads in his “My Minute” segment on Sunday’s show. Rubin correctly asserts that the source of the ads are those from out of town. Here’s his solution:
Next time, don’t give money to the parties; donate it directly to the candidates with the stipulation, or restriction if you will, that it only be used to purchase air time for positive ads that do not even mention the opposition.
Ah, if it were only that simple. Unfortunately, it isn’t. Money flows to incumbents, not challengers. The incumbents pool their resources to help the challengers. And guess who gets to call the shots? Well, he who has the gold, of course. They think they know better, anyway. Besides, there is the need to control the message.
Of course, in doing so, they fail to realize that all politics is local. Of course voters are concerned about the big issues – education, health, public safety – but it’s the ones close to home that affect how they vote. Talking about illegal immigration may play well in areas where that is a local problem but it falls flat in areas where the population is not affected by it. In the 87th, the hot topic was property tax relief, but I saw no indication that it was a burning issue in other areas.
It helps, of course, if the message is accurate. I winced when The Virginian Pilot pointed out that a Mathieson ad had characterized as a “pay raise” what was actually an increase in per diem. I see that Adam Tomer, the challenger in the 14th House district, ran into the exact same problem.
At the root of the problem is, of course, the obscene amounts of money necessary to run for office. Until we figure out a way to make it less so, things will only get worse.
And more and more voters will make the choice that Fruit made. And, as Rubin said, that stinks.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Wow- Fruit didn’t vote. Why did this even make new? Even when Fruit was Clerk of Court in VB he did very little politically or professionally. Usually once you are Clerk of Court, this being a non-contriversial political job, you are usually there until you want to retire since you are only up for re-election every 8 years. I love how the VA Pilot loves to write about why people are not voting because of negative ads. Oh well, the paper gets it both ways, it takes the money to print negative ads, then it’s emploees write about how bad they are, ooooohhhh want some cheese with that wine??
I once read an interesting idea on combating negative advertising which may get round free speech issues. In a strange way, it would be “free” speech.
It went like this. Any ad in which you mention your opponent or make a charge against him, the opponent is given free time to rebut it.
John Miller also wrote an op ed in the Daily Press this spring in which there are limits placed on advertising based on the money actually raised from the district you wish to represent.
NN Dem, your idea would be welcomed by the attacking candidate. There’s nothing a negative candidate would like better than to have double the ads talking about the subject of the attack.
Great advice coming from someone who has LOST every candidate he’s worked for in recent memory! Yeah, we’ll be following Kirwin to a “T”.
Kinda off-topic, but why is the Clerk of Court an elected position anyway?