Truth in Advertising - NOT

Something that I have found ... distasteful ... over this and most other election cycles is the simple fact that our "truth in advertising" laws don't apply to political ads. I'm not addressing here candidates or propositions I oppose or defend. I'm talking about simply being honest.

Where I live there are several controversial propositions on the ballot. I'm seriously disappointed by the fact that several are intentionally deceitful. One proposition, called "the Majority Rules proposition," sounds so democratic. The truth is that if it passes it will eliminate almost any possibility to pass citizen-initiated propositions. That's because, while it claims to operate on a "majority rules" system, it actually requires a majority of registered voters to rule on a proposition. If 50% of the registered voters don't show up, it can't pass. In this proposition, non-voters are counted as "no" votes. That's not actually "majority rule." Another is a "Stop Illegal Hiring" proposition that, as it turns out, actually eases the ability of companies to hire illegal aliens. One is a "Payday Loan Reform" proposition. It has been touting for weeks now that it will offer great reform to the payday loan industry here in Arizona. Day after day they trot out "hard-hitting" ads about how this "tough proposition" will root out the bad payday loan companies and make major changes to the industry. Nice! We want that. But wait! It turns out that in two years the industry will be outlawed from the state entirely. Huh? No one mentioned that in the ads for this proposition. And then you look at the "paid for by" tag and ... what? This proposition has been floated by and paid for by ... the payday loan industry. Now wait! That doesn't make sense! No, it doesn't. And when you read the proposition carefully you find that it "limits" the industry to charging more than 400% interest and running more than one concurrent loan to any given customer. Now that is hard-hitting reform! NOT! It's plain and simple deceit by an industry trying to secure its future in a state that is about to remove it. It is not truth in advertising.

Another proposition is clear enough, but the ads aren't. It is simply a "Freedom of Choice Act" where a law would be enacted that would prevent the government from forcing citizens to choose a particular health care plan. That's it. It insures our freedom of choice on health care ... you know, in case someone comes into office that tries to force a "universal health care" plan on everybody and limit our choices to that. Ads against it include one by the governor (who favors "universal health care") who says "It will limit our choices." Well, it will limit our choice to demand that everyone be part of universal health care, maybe. Somehow, it seems, women ought to have their freedom to choose to kill unborn babies untouched, but our freedom to choose a doctor should not be defended. That seems ... dishonest.

Advertisements for and against candidates are really hard to follow. One candidate in particular apparently ignores and stands on principles. Huh? Yes, one ad against him says, "He ignores principles." Another ad for him says, "He stands on principles." Oddly, both ads cite the same source ... the local newspaper. Now, people, really, he can't do both. He is either a man of principles or he isn't. Someone is lying. At the very least, someone is "shading the truth" (a euphemism for lying). One that is particularly disturbing to me is this series of attacks on several candidates based largely on their "support for a national sales tax." "Don't we already have too many taxes?" they complain. "It does away with corporate income tax," they claim. Well, yeah. It also does away with personal income tax, death taxes, and the like. The national sales tax is intended to shift the taxation situation from income to outgo, from what you make to what you spend. But they don't tell you that. They try to convince you that these people are simply trying to take more money from you and let those evil corporations off. The national sales tax idea may or may not be a good idea. It's merits and problems ought to be discussed. But misrepresenting it will not serve that process, and this is not "truth in advertising."

My real problem with the intentional deception that is political advertising is the simple premise that Americans are stupid. The notion is that we will not examine the issues, not investigate the candidates, not read the propositions. We will simply do what the loudest and longest commercials tell us to do. It smells like Hitler's "Tell a lie big enough and long enough and people will believe you." It feels like "You people are too stupid to figure out the truth for yourself, so just do what we tell you." Unfortunately, I'm afraid there are indeed too many people today who, brought up on a steady diet of TV instead of reading and learning, will do just that. I suppose, then, that I'm most disturbed by the appearance that these political liars have a genuine premise with which to lead the sheeple of America.