Should political commercials be banned from tv?

[TribalElder]

TV is almost unwatchable with all these bullshit political ads.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

reerun

not every form of expression and/or communication falls under gawd dam freedom of speech

we are talking about limiting paid media in the political process


news flash ... companies donating special interest money to politicians isn't a form of free speech either, it's bribery.


idiots in this world

Wow, lots of ad hominem and smilies you had to use. This argument can't be that valid then.

That's not true of political speech.

When forms of speech are curtailed it's because of another right conflicts with another more important basic right like safety, slander and libel. Life cannot be put in danger and no one has the right to lie about someone whereby they are damaged. Then there's community standards for obscenity. There isn't a whole lot of exceptions carved out of the right.

However, infringing speech DOES NOT apply to political speech—the exact kind of speech our Framers were referring to when they wrote the BoRs. That is protected speech, no matter how offensive it is, annoying it is to you. Media, paid or otherwise, is just a modern-day vehicle for carrying a message. Just as the printing press which printed political pamphlets prior to our own war for independence.

We have a free press, so networks are free to be paid for advertising and anyone can advertise. You may call it bribery, but that's just your opinion. I doubt any court would call it that because no laws are being broken. Of course, networks can refuse to run any political commercials or any other type of commercial. That's also exercising their free speech since the corollary to free speech is the freedom not to speak.

That applies to you skipping the channel, or getting up to do something else or muting the commercial if you don't want to view it.

This is a free country. Let's keep it that way.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Now that corporations are "people" our participation in the elective process is marginalized anyway.

This doesn't really have anything to do with donations per se. What about candidates that pay for their own commercials?

It's about freedom of the press—a fundamental natural right that must not be infringed. You can always counter your opinion over another's opinion, comments or statements.

Why isn't this in DC?

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Useless.

[BucEyedPea]

Here are the cases on free speech and freedom of the press:

The First Amendment Center
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/...dment-timeline

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by 505 Chief

Useless.

What's useless?

[ModSocks]

Again, more tits, less whining.

Or better yet, a hot chick with a bangin' body talking shit about the opposition while putting objects in her mouth in a sexual manner.

I'd vote for the guy that runs THAT ad.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

What's useless?

Pretty sure he's talking about political ads.

[kcfanXIII]

Maybe not ban them, but some new rules would help.
Rule #1: you are not allowed to mention your opponent by name. This will prevent mudslinging. If you can't run on your own merit, you don't deserve to run.
Rule #2: Any political ad will be considered under oath. Lying to the public about what you are going to do should be considered perjury.
Rule #3: You are limited to airing your ads once per hour. I hate seeing the same ads every commercial break.
Rule #4: No more actors giving testimony. If someone wants to get up there and give their legitimate story, fine, but paying people to say how great you are, and is misleading. see rule #2.

[BucEyedPea]

I heard advancing technology may revolutionize TV whereby we can all skip commercials if we want. Ah, capitalism and markets to the rescue!

[gblowfish]

[redfan]

I hate 'em; they fill me with rage, but they shouldn't be banned.
They should be relegated to late night after 3 am slots, just like some infomercials.

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

Wow, lots of ad hominem and smilies you had to use. This argument can't be that valid then.

That's not true of political speech.

When forms of speech are curtailed it's because of another right conflicts with another more important basic right like safety, slander and libel. Life cannot be put in danger and no one has the right to lie about someone whereby they are damaged. Then there's community standards for obscenity. There isn't a whole lot of exceptions carved out of the right.

However, infringing speech DOES NOT apply to political speech—the exact kind of speech our Framers were referring to when they wrote the BoRs. That is protected speech, no matter how offensive it is, annoying it is to you. Media, paid or otherwise, is just a modern-day vehicle for carrying a message. Just as the printing press which printed political pamphlets prior to our own war for independence.

We have a free press, so networks are free to be paid for advertising and anyone can advertise. You may call it bribery, but that's just your opinion. I doubt any court would call it that because no laws are being broken. Of course, networks can refuse to run any political commercials or any other type of commercial. That's also exercising their free speech since the corollary to free speech is the freedom not to speak.

That applies to you skipping the channel, or getting up to do something else or muting the commercial if you don't want to view it.

This is a free country. Let's keep it that way.

While BEP is usually wrong about everything, she is mostly right here.
Except for the part about networks being able to refuse political commercials--they are actually very limited in what political ads they can refuse to run--especially the broadcast networks which use the public airwaves.

Those ads are protected speech moreso than a regular commercial ad because they are "helping" the public decide their govt officials. So, the broadcast nets, using public airwaves, can't be picking and choosing which candidates they will allow on their air. That's why the candidates can get away with ads full of such bullshit--the networks are basically forced to run them regardless of their bullshit content.

[Dayze]

what's comical is hearing family members, friends etc, comment on them as if they're the gospel

"Did you hear about Brownback"?

"No, what"?

"well, I saw on a commercial that he apparently kicks puppies for fun"

"................"

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

While BEP is usually wrong about everything, she is mostly right here.
Except for the part about networks being able to refuse political commercials--they are actually very limited in what political ads they can refuse to run--especially the broadcast networks which use the public airwaves.

Those ads are protected speech moreso than a regular commercial ad because they are "helping" the public decide their govt officials. So, the broadcast nets, using public airwaves, can't be picking and choosing which candidates they will allow on their air. That's why the candidates can get away with ads full of such bullshit--the networks are basically forced to run them regardless of their bullshit content.

congratulations ... you just sold the political process the person with the deepest wallet.

stupid people deserve what they get


no mystery to why the American political process is so broken

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

Pretty sure he's talking about political ads.

This.

We all know how we feel and vote on the issues. And, we all know that politicians sling mud on each other.