Guilt by Association

Negative political commercials for some time have attempted (often successfully) to link an opposing candidate with some other unpopular, perhaps unsavory person. For example in this year's Illinois gubernatorial race each candidate (the incumbent Democrat, Pat Quinn and the opposing Republican State Senator, Bill Brady) have spent millions trying to tarnish their respective opponents with the bad aroma emitted by the last 2 governors, jailed Republican George Ryan and soon to be jailed Democrat Rod Blagojevich. Never mind what each current candidate stands for, might (??) accomplish for the citizens, etc. all that apparently counts is guilt by association. While it is true that they each had an association with the respective disgraced ex-governors, isn't this sort of irrelevant? Neither was remotely suspected of being complicit in their crimes.

Full disclosure: about 12 years ago when he was an Illinois congressman, Rod Blagojevich invited a group of visiting Illinois CPA's to his Washington office and TNB actually shook his hand. This of course makes your intrepid blogger guilty (of something) by association. This one incident ruined a promising political career for TNB--imagine the ads ! Sounds ludicrous, right? Read on.

What really has TNB wondering about the intelligence of the American people (OK--no real doubt that most are gullible and yes stupid) are the ads "linking" candidates with someone say of their own party who may be despised or detested for unknown reasons--sort of guilt by almost association. In the Illinois 10th Congressional district, being vacated by Republican Mark Kirk, who is running for the Senate, his would-be Democratic successor, Dan Seals, has been the object of vicious commercials trumpeting his "association" with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who apparently because she's a (gasp) liberal has been anointed this year's bogeywoman. There is no evidence that Seals, who has never served in Congress, even knows Pelosi. But since they're both Democrats they must be associated to obviously nefarious ends.

This makes as much sense as if the Democrats ran attack ads linking Kirk with all elements of his party--for starters why not Delaware Senatorial candidate Christine "I am not a witch" O'Donnell (not so sure about that!) or New York gubernatorial candidate Carl "I'll take you out" Paladino or other GOP luminaries. Kirk's not really associated with them? Who's to know or care? It's a simple premise--guilt by association.

A Mixed Bag

For a change here's a mixed bag of random thoughts. The next post will return to profound, mind stretching information.

• With 4 weeks to go before midterm elections, TNB is still waiting for the first non-negative (i.e., positive) commercial for a candidate. Is it conceivable that everybody's opponent is untrustworthy, irresponsible, immoral and in general a total sleaze? (OMG, maybe it's so). No wonder voters have such a low opinion of politicians.
• Why do certain "friends" constantly bombard you with forwarded E-Mails hammering home the same old, tired views, sort of "preaching to the choir"? The ability to easily forward crap of all kinds is one of the great abuses of modern technology. Don't you sometimes wish you could send a little computer virus (nothing too serious--like the common cold, say) to these folks?
• BTW, while on the subject of E-Mails, why can't everybody forwarding E-Mails (obnoxious or otherwise) just simply delete the string of previous E-mail addresses so that everyone receiving the missive isn't privy to unnecessary information which could be used for spam, etc.? It's so easy to do (and good etiquette) that even TNB, no computer whiz, has mastered it (see the distribution of this blog, for example).
• Make sure you see the brilliant new film The Social Network. Although there are some (such as this blogger) who haven't been seduced by Facebook and its ilk, it's extremely informative to learn how this phenomenom has occurred. The writing, directing, acting, photography--all Oscar worthy. Of course, being of a (very) certain age, TNB does worry that someday, there will no longer be much live person-to -person contact. But if you think about it, the same fears were probably expressed when telephone, radio, television, computers and every other development became popular. People will likely never return to smoke signals for communication.
• Are you as disgusted as TNB (a life long intense sports fan) at the "behavior" exhibited by many overpaid athletes? If it's not DUI (they can afford to hire drivers) it's sexual harrassment (come to think of it, they can afford to hire hookers!) or drugs or beating up wives/girlfriends. What great role models for the young. These jerks should be rated lower than politicians.