ACHTUNG: This is not a “fair and balanced” story. It is an editorial by the editor.
This is the best demonstration I can think of that elections in our democracy or constitutional republic have deteriorated badly because they are decided by who put the best ads on TV.
I speak of the contest between John James and Sandy Pensler in the GOP U.S. Senate primary Aug. 7 for the right to lose to Democratic incumbent Debbie Stabenow in November. All I know about both gentlemen from their marketing campaigns is that they both love President Donald Trump.
Both have approved televised messages to try to convince potential supporters they love Trump more than the other guy. James has the edge, because Trump actually has endorsed him.
Despite phony claims their opponent is a closet liberal, politically they are pretty much the same. They both claim to be conservative and promise to implement the Trump agenda and secure our borders against hordes of immigrants. Both campaigns have been plagued with being long on style and fawning love for the President, but alarmingly short on information about contrasts on issues.
This contest merely proves my long-held assertion that our elections too often are empty exercises in marketing and advertising without providing much in the way of useful information to help us poor unwashed masses make a rational decision.
James is a graduate of West Point. Pensler is a Detroit area businessman with a law degree. So neither candidate is a dummy. You wouldn’t come to understand that by examining their advertisements.
Furthermore, both are playing a very risky political game by pledging fealty to Trump, whose support in Michigan has been slipping badly and not likely to get much better by November. They both have decided to win today, lose tomorrow.
I give only a slight edge to James. You can call it my nod to affirmative action — when it’s really too close to call, give the person of color a chance.
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