Despite all the chatter about how “historic” Campaign 2008 has been, it is the McCain-Palin ticket that it is truly testing the limits, not of race or gender politics, but whether the United States is ready to enter a new dimension of political lying. — Robert Parry, Consortium News

Not to state the obvious, but with my background being the news business, I leave marketing observations to the many tenured marketing minds at this and sister Talent Zoo web logs.  Until now – because political ads are a subject with which I’ve a long history.   As a reporter, you’re always at odds with marketers and strategists, exposing distortions and untruths.  The latter reached an unprecedented level in the ongoing 2008 presidential election.  Strategists for the campaign of Republican John McCain and running mate Sarah Palin figured they could not only deflect attention from the big issues with a barrage of negative lies about Democrat Barrack Obama – but somehow get away with easily provable lies about the McCain and Palin records.  With their scheme for continual lying, the strategists bet truth would never catch up.  The plan reflected a low opinion of average voters and some Obama supporters worried the strategists might be right.  I did.

Even as new media allowed anyone with a good Internet connection to disprove the lies in seconds, it was hardly enough.  Then, something unexpected happened.  Mainstream – I prefer “corporate” – media began to focus on the lying.  Even conservative commentators spoke up.  Then, providence intervened: an economic shock with financial bankruptcies and likely bankruptcies that dropped the U.S. stock market more than 500 points.  The table is now set for the aforementioned average voters to turn on the campaign that sought to use bald lies as a way to escape the consequences of its own political policies.

Whatever the final outcome, the marketing profession may have been spared what would have been its darkest chapter.

Bill Bartman is a freelance correspondent and investigative reporter for print, broadcast, and new media.  He is also a consultant to digital new media and related telecommunications and information technology ventures.

Article Tags: Barrack Obama | Consortium News | corporate media | First Amendment | John McCain | mainstream media | political speech | Robert Parry | Sarah Palin

Filed under: Election, News article, Propaganda, TV