Candidates' ads push factual envelope

MSNBC (a sometimes sensible, often annoying TV channel) and the Washington Post have weighed in with this interesting and in some ways distressing analysis of the advertising from both the Democrats and Republicans that has been flying around this election:

MSNBC - Candidates' ads push factual envelope

Not really a surprise; either in that the candidates are being vile or TV stations are more interested in making money than fact checking.

Despite all the lies and rancour polluting the public airwaves it is important to vote in this and all elections. There is a reason those of us to the left of the Kerry Democratic party have in the past called the two major parties "Republocrats"- in many way ways both are as bad as each other and differences often amount to nothing more than the two sides of the same coin. Still, there is an important distinction to be made between being an unrealistic absolutist and not agreeing with elements of policy and still voting for a candidate as he or she most closely approaches your beliefs. Ifthe litmus test of a politician worthiness was that they were perfectly in-sync with your views, you'd only have yourself to vote for. And this time around there is a lot at stake. I've been recalling when French progressives and lefties had to hold their noses and vote for Chriac in order to keep the fascist Jean Marie Le Pen from taking office. We should take note here in the States, with the added bonus that Kerry is not anywhere as odious as Chirac (despite Republican efforts to emphasise Kerry's 'Frenchness', because as we all know, long lunch breaks, a rejection of anglo-saxon hegemony, good wine, and an aversion to getting involved in meaningless war is a bad thing).

For those still wavering towards a Nader/Camejo vote (or even Cobb/LaMarche) take a look at this site: Greens for Kerry. By the way, I still proudly call myself a greenie-progressive-independent and maintain that Ralph didn't lose Florida for Gore; it was the 25,000 registered Democrats who voted for the GOP who managed that one. This year though, its all about tactical voting and making a start in the right direction.

And finally for today, back to the original vaguely alluded to point that the American news media is falling down worse than Michael Douglas in the film of that name. Jon Stewart, host of the Daily Show and satarist extrordinaire, went to CNN's Crossfire and politely reminded the so-called journalists there that they might want to start doing their job:

Jon Stewart on Crossfire