Watch political campaigns and the accompanying ads for any period of time and you might come away thinking that politicians can say almost anything to persuade a voter.
It takes a lot to cross the line in political campaigns — which makes it notable that Mark Begich, the Democratic candidate for Alaska’s U.S. Senate seat, took down a controversial ad that attempted to paint his opponent as soft on sexual assault.
Begich’s opponent is former state Attorney General Dan Sullivan. In the ad, a retired police detective stands in front of an apartment building and tells viewers that while Sullivan was in office, a man was charged with murdering two seniors and sexually assaulting their 2-year-old granddaughter after receiving a lenient sentence for a prior sexual assault.
The ad sought to hold Sullivan indirectly responsible for the horrific crime.
The fact-checking website Politifact rated the ad as “Pants on Fire” — its lowest rating — which is reserved for claims that are false and ridiculous.
The two candidates had been in a close race, though Begich maintained a consistent lead throughout the month of August. But the ad damaged Begich in the polls and seriously hurt Democrats’ chances of winning a Senate seat in a largely Republican state.
Once the ad aired in late August, Begich dropped in multiple polls and now trails Sullivan.
This type of incendiary ad was first popularized in 1988 by presidential candidate George H. W. Bush, against his opponent Michael Dukakis. Much like Begich’s ad, Bush attempts to paint Dukakis as soft on crime by mentioning his weekend furlough program that allows prisoners to temporarily leave prison during their term.
The ad shows Willie Horton, who was in prison for murder, receiving weekend furloughs while Dukakis was governor. During one furlough he did not return and later kidnapped a couple, then assaulted them and raped the woman.
It also gained infamy for being one of the most vicious attack ads ever and provoked racial tensions for singling out a black man in the ad. In an interesting twist, the ad actually helped Bush at the time — he would go on to win the presidential election later that year.
It was the era of former President Ronald Reagan's "War on Drugs," a time when being tough on crime was considered a popular political stance.
state@dailytarheel.com
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