The Summer Television Season...Brought to you by John McCain

One great thing about having kids: Political campaigns don't buy ad space on Nickelodeon or the Disney channel...yet. So, thanks to my two young sons, for now I can avoid the insulting barrage of negative attack ads that have become the hallmark of neoconservative election-year summer television. But I wonder if those days aren't too far off.

The funny thing is...I think children would naturally question the lies and half-truths the republicans try to pawn off as fact. Many adults tend to just accept what fits their preconceived, environmentally hard-wired, narrow view of the world. Personally, I find the ads offensive; an insult to my intelligence. I fervently hoped that I'd seen the last of the Swift Boat style summer television. But it seems that we are in for more of the same. Fortunately, there are others out there willing to take the time to dissect these 30 second character assassinations. One such person is William Bradley, who provides a baker's dozen list of reasons why the current McCain attack ad is not to be believed (along with a link to the ad itself). And if this ad isn't enough for you...make way for the new ad that compares Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton (in as much as they crave celebrity). And don't for a second think that this blatant juxtaposition of a black man and young blond women isn't a deliberate attempt to subliminally sow racist fears. Playing the Mandingo card isn't only insulting, it's sad, just sad.

Frankly it should come as no surprise that McCain, who once decried this type of negative advertising, has caved in to his neo-conservative puppet masters and is embracing this soul-sapping approach to campaigning. But given that McCain himself was the victim of a vicious and specious smear job at the hands of George W. Bush, I find his association with this kind of campaigning all the more distasteful and hypocritical. Why, it would be almost as incredulous as if he would suddenly come out in support of torture! Oh...wait. Never mind.

Well, as far as attack ads go I'm sure this will seem fairly innocuous compared to the ads we'll see as we get closer and closer to November, and the neocons become increasingly panicked about the demise of the Bush/Rove vision of right wing hegemony. Fortunately, I'll be watching Ralph's World, Pingu and Flight of the Conchords re-runs...and there won't be a Bush/McCain/neocon attack ad in sight.