Our federal and state constitutions, first and foremost, protect political speech—even devastating speech—and leave it to the voters to ferret out lies and reject dishonest politicians.
I have never been against all negative political ads. I do, however reprobate those that intentionally misrepresent an opponent’s position, and/or lie about the opposing candidate.
But if the opposing candidate lies, or promises voters he will do one thing, only to do the opposite, I am in favor of any negative ads that truthfully demonstrate that conduct.
Two Gov. Rauner ads attack Rep. Ives, his gubernatorial primary opponent. Both are unarguably negative. But are either truthful? Substantially truthful?
The governor’s first TV ad begins with grainy, unflattering photos of Ives. Why? Is that how she really looks? Next it calls Ives “another Madigan lackey” for refusing to call Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan a crook (apparently as Gov. Rauner has been doing).
It concludes by claiming Ives supports Madigan’s Illinois income tax increase because when asked if she would repeal it, she truthfully answered that no governor can repeal a tax law on her own; only the Legislature can repeal a tax. Gov. Rauner knows that.
From beginning to end, this is an untruthful negative ad. It is intended to place Rep. Ives in a false light.
Gov. Rauner’s second negative ad says, “Jeanne Ives took thousands from a shady labor union tied to Mike Madigan. She voted against increasing your property tax exemption. Now, she’s criticizing Bruce Rauner for calling Mike Madigan a crook, brags about Madigan voting for her bills and complains Rauner is ‘picking on Madigan.’ Let’s recap. Jeanne Ives was for higher taxes, took shady money from Madigan’s cronies and now defends and defers to Madigan. Jeanne Ives might just be Mike Madigan’s favorite Republican and Illinois’ worst nightmare.”
What union? What exemption did she vote against? What higher taxes did she support. How is she Madigan’s lackey? Proof, please!
The governor, no doubt, feels justified. Rep. Ives ran a negative ad captioned, “Thank you, Bruce Rauner.” The Chicago Tribune criticized it as “racist, sexist and homophobic.” But does it tell the truth?
Ives refuses to pull the ad arguing that it “exposes Rauner’s betrayal of GOP voters.” The ad is clearly designed to spotlight Gov. Rauner’s alleged betrayal of his base. The people in the ad are obvious caricatures—exaggerations—created to burlesque Gov. Rauner’s alleged sellout of his Republican base by approving five bills.
First, a man dressed as a woman says, “Thank you, for signing legislation that lets me use the girl’s bathroom.”
Next, a young woman in a strange pink hat says, “Thank you, for making all Illinois families pay for my abortions.”
Then, an African-American woman wearing a Chicago Teachers Union shirt, says, “Thank you for making the rest of the state bail out city public schools and teachers’ pensions.”
Next a guy wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt and a red handkerchief over his face says, “Thank you Bruce Rauner for opposing law-enforcement and making Illinois a Sanctuary State for illegal immigrant criminals.”
The ad goes on to thank Gov. Rauner for bailing out Exelon at taxpayer expense.
It then shows a copy of conservative National Review, labeling Gov. Rauner, “The Worst Republican Governor in America.”
The ad concludes by calling the governor “Benedict Rauner” (as in “Benedict Arnold”).
So are Jeanne Ive’s claims true? Substantially true? If so, Ives has the right to stand by her ad. However, if the voters judge her speech to be “racist, sexist and homophobic,” rather than “devastating political speech,” they can decide she’s not deserving of their votes.
A politician worthy of election doesn’t seek to shut down political speech. He engages in truthful counter-speech. The voter gets to decide where the truth lies.
(Before seeing Gov. Rauner’s ads, I had taken no notice of Jeanne Ives, nor seen her ad. I knew only that she was a state rep, running for Governor, and a former West Pointer.)
Posted: QCOline.com March 15, 2018
Copyright 2018, John Donald O'Shea
Next a guy wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt and a red handkerchief over his face says, “Thank you Bruce Rauner for opposing law-enforcement and making Illinois a Sanctuary State for illegal immigrant criminals.”
The ad goes on to thank Gov. Rauner for bailing out Exelon at taxpayer expense.
It then shows a copy of conservative National Review, labeling Gov. Rauner, “The Worst Republican Governor in America.”
The ad concludes by calling the governor “Benedict Rauner” (as in “Benedict Arnold”).
So are Jeanne Ive’s claims true? Substantially true? If so, Ives has the right to stand by her ad. However, if the voters judge her speech to be “racist, sexist and homophobic,” rather than “devastating political speech,” they can decide she’s not deserving of their votes.
A politician worthy of election doesn’t seek to shut down political speech. He engages in truthful counter-speech. The voter gets to decide where the truth lies.
(Before seeing Gov. Rauner’s ads, I had taken no notice of Jeanne Ives, nor seen her ad. I knew only that she was a state rep, running for Governor, and a former West Pointer.)
Posted: QCOline.com March 15, 2018
Copyright 2018, John Donald O'Shea
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