The founding documents of the United States of America resonate with noble ideals. But when it comes to US election campaigns, where has all the nobility gone?           

The preamble to the Declaration of Independence begins like this:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

But consider the state of political affairs these lofty words have now begotten.           

A website run by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, www.factcheck.org, has analyzed recent ads placed by the national Democratic and Republican congressional committees in the top 101 US media markets. The analysis concludes that Democrats have spent only $3.1 million on ads supporting Democratic candidates, while laying out $18 million for ads attacking Republicans. Are Republicans any better? Hardly. They have spent $5 million on ads supporting their own candidates, and $41.9 million attacking the Democrats.           

Is it worse than in past years? Opinions vary. The history of scheming politicians goes back to the earliest days of the country. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and George Washington were probably several cuts above their peers, but even they were not above the occasional negative political move. Nevertheless, a 6-1 negative-to-positive ratio for Democratic ads, and 8-1 for Republicans, is disheartening. Why must voters put up with this?           

The answer is simple: Attack ads work. If voters didn’t respond the way they do, campaign strategists would spend their millions playing classical music over the airwaves, or broadcasting photos of mountain scenery, or whatever did work. We voters get what we deserve.          

On one level, I suppose I wouldn’t want it any other way. Would any of us choose to give up the First Amendment?         

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” 

We don’t want those rights to go away. Thus, politicians have a basic, unalienable right to say whatever they want, however negative it may be.          

But political ads are often worse than merely negative; many are blatantly misleading. For example, Republicans ran an ad against New York Democratic House candidate Michael Arcuri, accusing him of using taxpayers’ dollars to call a phone sex line. In fact, according to San Francisco Chronicle Washington Bureau reporter Zachary Coile, “The call was a misdial by one of Arcuri’s associates who used a wrong area code to call the state’s Division of Criminal Justice Services (phone records show he dialed the right number a minute later).”           

Coile also reports that Democrats ran an ad accusing Florida Republican congressman Clay Shaw of buying stock in a drug company before voting for the Medicare prescription drug plan. The ad claims this set up an opportunity to benefit from a later sale of the stock. But in fact, according to Coile, the particular drugs in question were already covered by Medicare, and the vote had no affect on the company’s stock price.*                   

Smart retail shoppers follow the maxim: buyer beware. The same principle applies in the marketplace of ideas. Just because somebody says something, doesn’t mean I am obligated to believe it.

The most disheartening political reality of all, for me, is that Christians are found in the midst of the fray, twisting facts to promote their own version of reality. We ought to be better than that. More important than any political position should be a Christian’s dedication to the simple truth. Not twisted facts. Not truth conveniently slanted. Not loyalty to political party or to ideology. Simple dedication to truth. 

Is truth always easy to identify with certainty? No. Is it worthwhile, nevertheless, to pursue it honestly and relentlessly?           

“The truth,” Jesus said, “shall set you free” (John 8:32).          

I hope we still believe it.

B.W.

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*for the complete San Francisco Chronicle article, go to http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/11/01/MNG5NM3QLJ1.DTL