The heart of election season is upon us. We have entered the frenzied weeks leading up to the primary election on Aug. 18. After months of planning, fundraising and building networks, candidates are making their pitches about why they deserve voters’ trust. Unfortunately, the dark side of campaigning is also upon us. We are already seeing disingenuous and dishonest campaign advertisements hit our mailboxes and our screens.
Opinion
The sad truth is that negative campaigning often works. It is far easier to tear down than to make a positive case, and for some, being the last person standing after a mudslinging fight is good enough for them. However, it is a horrible way to pick leaders. It rewards those who are willing to prey upon our worst instincts and says nothing about their vision for the future. It also tends to reveal much more about the character of the person making the attack than the one on the receiving end.
Not every contrast piece is an attack ad. Pointing out legitimate differences and criticizing bad policy are the types of debates we should be having. Candidates should be asked to explain good bills they opposed or bad ones they supported. Unfortunately, that is rarely what we see in negative campaigning. Most of the attack ads on TV and in our mailboxes are designed to appeal to emotion and fear rather than ideas. They play no part in the conversations about the future that we all say we want in campaigns.
One ad that began running recently checks every box of a disingenuous attack. This particular ad, attacking gubernatorial candidate Eric Barlow, is patently false regarding his voting record and is designed solely to generate an emotional reaction. Simply put, it is a lie. It makes extreme claims about hot-button issues but omits context and votes on other bills that accomplished what they claim he opposed, but in a better way. The advertisement is intentionally misleading. Those who are running it are lying to the people of Wyoming, and we should have the good sense to recognize it for what it is. There are real issues to be decided in the election for governor. False attack ads are not the way we should be choosing who to vote for.
Another ad that comes to mind is the “China Chuck” advertisement put out by Reid Rasner’s campaign, wherein he criticizes Chuck Gray for registering Chinese companies with the secretary of state’s office. This is also a disingenuous and baseless attack. Registering businesses is one of the main purposes of the secretary of state’s office. It is a ministerial act, not a discretionary one, and likely an act that Chuck Gray had nothing to do with. Even had he wanted to reject the filings, he would have had no legal basis to do so. Rasner’s ad is dishonest. There are plenty of reasons not to vote for Chuck Gray, but the attack in Rasner’s ad is not one of them.
What should we, the voters, do when faced with these ads? First, it is important to take all of them with a grain of salt. We must commit to discerning whether these are legitimate criticisms or merely mudslinging. Part of living in a democracy is that the voters have the responsibility to ensure that their votes are informed. Criticisms based on ideas are legitimate. Lies and distortions to motivate based on emotional reactions are not. When one of the advertisements strikes home for you, make sure that what it is saying is true.
A good rule of thumb is that the more sensational the claim, the less likely it is to be true. If you find yourself thinking, “Really?!” or “How could they?” the most likely answer is that the person in fact did not do what they are accused of. If it sounds too fantastical to be true, it probably is.
Above all else, we must not reward those who try to mislead us. Those who would lie and cheat to gain power do not deserve it. If they are willing to lie to you to get elected, they are willing to lie to you once in office. Character does not change based on whether someone is running for office. We must insist that our officials be committed to the truth and to respect, both for their opponents and for the voters. Above all else, false attacks are a sin against you. Those who send them out are saying that they think you are too stupid or too lazy to figure out the truth. They believe they can manipulate you for their own gain. For all of our sakes, do not let them succeed.
