I'm Begging - No More Political Ads!

A political cartoon from 1801, which
depicts Thomas Jefferson joining forces
with Satan to take down the government.

Is there anyone who is still on the fence about who they're voting for in less than a month??  Anyone? If no one is wavering, then politicians please stop with the annoying, mudslinging ads.  If there are still people on the fence, you're probably not going to convince them with your ads anyway, so stop wasting everyone's time and patience.  

Political mudslinging in US politics dates as far back as 1800, when Thomas Jefferson was attacked by ministers who accused him of being an “infidel” and an “unbeliever." A Federalist cartoon depicted him as a drunken anarchist, and the president of Yale warned that if Jefferson came to power, “we may see our wives and daughters the victims of legal prostitution.” A Connecticut newspaper (now the Hartford Courant) warned that his election would mean “murder, robbery, rape, adultery and incest will openly be taught and practiced” — though the paper did apologize some years later (in 1993 to be exact).  Of course, President John Adams didn't get off easy either: James Callender, a journalist in league with Jefferson, told the country that Adams was a rageful, lying, warmongering fellow, a “repulsive pedant” and “gross hypocrite” who behaved neither like a man nor like a woman but instead possessed a “hideous hermaphroditical character.”  Ouch!  But nice alliteration! At least the mudslinging was intelligently creative.

One would think that in the 212 years since Jefferson and Adams faced off with each other that United States politics would have matured, but as we all know, it has not!  I can't believe that every election year we need to suffer through these ridiculous ads which tell us nothing truthful or honest about a politician and everything about how they can twist the facts to suit their own political desires. So, please. I'm begging all political parties and PACs, just stop!  I will say that at least in 1800 it was easier to get away from the political mudslinging - just don't read the newspaper. Unfortunately, in our modern times, we are bombarded on a near constant basis - thanks to television, radio, newspapers, magazines, internet, etc. Oh, well.  This too shall pass!