This seems to me to be over the top and out of line:
New Jersey’s bitter governor’s race turned more acerbic on Thursday as Republicans released a television ad featuring harsh words about the Democrat, Jon S. Corzine, from his ex-wife.
Democrats responded by calling the commercial a sign of desperation, and Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey joined in, calling Douglas R. Forrester, the Republican nominee, a “liar” and “hypocrite” for authorizing the ad after saying that he would not use her comments to promote his campaign.
The ad released by the Forrester campaign, which has no sound, just the words of Joanne Corzine, was criticized by Mr. Corzine’s allies.
“Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse or any lower, it did, on Mr. Forrester’s behalf,” Mr. Codey said at a campaign event in Montclair with Mr. Corzine and former Senator Bill Bradley.The flare-up, in a race that has offended many voters with its attack ads by both candidates, came one day after Joanne Corzine said that her ex-husband’s quest for political power had led him to abandon both his family and his principles.
I have not been following this election, so I do not know if Corzine has done similar things or if other dirty tricks have been played on Forrester, but that is really irrelevant. This clearly is bringing someone’s personal life (in this case, failed aspects of the personal life) into a race, and should be frowned upon.
Again, even if this in retaliation for similar behavior or other dirty tricks (and I don’t know if it is), this is over the line. The Forrester campaign should be ashamed of themselves.
kchiker
No one would put that ad up unless they were REALLY convinced they were in for a big defeat.
Damn Dems and their Godless ways. Right Newt?
DougJ
I don’t know if you’ve followed the Kaine/Kilgore race but Kilgore ran an even more offensive ad against Kaine, where he had family members of a murder victim assault Kaine for being against the death penalty. It seems to have backfired completely, to judge by the polls (Kilgore was 3-5 points ahead when he started running it, now he’s 3-5 points behind).
Steve S
This seems pretty typical for a Republican political commercial.
Yeah, sure, you display the appropriate level of faux outrage, but the reason why they run these things is because they work.
Another Jeff
Jeez, that ad was so disgusting you would’ve thought the NAACP ran it.
Otto Man
I live in NYC and see all the N.J. ads, so I can say, no, Corzine has done nothing remotely close to this stunt.
The Corzine ads have been of three themes: (1) Doug Forrester made all his money from the pharmaceutical companies; (2) Doug Forrester’s tax plan would lead to cuts in health care and education, and even his GOP primary opponent Bret Schundler agrees, and, worst of all, (3) Doug Forrester is George Bush’s choice.
The Forrester ads, meanwhile, started out fairly positive, campaigning against “Democratic corruption” and using supposedly Democratic voters in the ads who said they were voting GOP this time. Then they started the ominous “Jon Corzine voted to raise taxes a bajillion times!” ads.
All of the above seemed par for the course. But this one is a new low and, like the Virginia race, it’s going to turn people off.
MrSnrub
Forrester is down by 12 points, last I saw. This seems to me to be a Hail Mary play to catch up.
Steve
Total desperation. Maybe some women will buy it. Maybe some men with vengeful ex-wives will swing the other way. Maybe a lot of people with no particular stake will be completely offended.
The main Corzine ad running right now is a 100% positive one starring Bill Clinton. It gives me a man-crush.
Otto Man
“I like the way this Mr. Snrub thinks.”
Kimmitt
What Steve S said — this sort of thing is SOP, though it’s usually done through push-polling rather than television spots. John McCain’s interracial baby and all that.
Don Surber
Ex-wife: “Let his family down, and he’ll probably let New Jersey down, too.”
Oh yea, horsewhip the guy for this. Sure flail away
[/sarcasm]
Girly men
Mr Furious
Ugh. What’s next actually advertising that Corzine has an out-of-wedlock black child? Fucking pathetic. It’s too bad fouls like this don’t get you thrown out of the game.
That death penalty ad in virginia was actually even MORE offensive than alluded to above (unless there are separate offensive ads). Kilgore’s ad states that Kaine wouldn’t even support the death penalty for Hitler or Bin Laden.
Kaine’s actual position is a matter of personal religious belief—he is Catholic—not a matter of policy or politics. He wouldn’t change the law in Virginia, and has admitted that neither Hitler or Bin Laden deserve to live in a civilized society, it’s just that he believes God, not man, should take that life. I disagree with that, myself, but that’s fine if it’s your personal position.
Kilgore is an asshole, and Forrester sounds equal to the task. I hope they both go down in flames.
jg
Willie Horton.
ScottC
He seriously used the word bajillion?
Otto Man
Maybe Kilgore is using dirty ads because he sounds about as manly as Paul Lynde.
If you’ve never had the pleasure of hearing him speak, click here for a sample. The upper left corner has a link that lets you bask in the glory of a real man.
Otto Man
Well, no. But it was the usual effort to comb through every procedural vote in the Senate that contained a .05 cent tax hike on aircraft fuel and the like, and then turn it into a tax-and-spend caricature. The actual number was something like 347 times.
Matt D
I knew I could expect idiotic “this is what Republicans always do” type comments. Forrester’s ads have clearly crossed the line and are reprehensible. They also smack of desperation (unlike, say, ads depicting cartoons of President Bush and Mayor Bloomberg riding on a horse together). However, I guess the posters here from the Tri-State Area have forgotten all about the Mark Green mayoral ads from 2001 accusing Mayor Bloomberg of forcing an employee who got pregnant as the result of an intra-office love affiar to have an abortion rather than risk scandal (the infamous “kill it! kill it!” ad). Spare me the whole “Republicans do this all the time; Democrats would never do this” routine. It insults the intelligence of everyone here.
Madmatt
Well it is because repug’s have nothing to offer the voters…even their base won’t fall for their bulls**t anymore.
Sojourner
Must be one of Rove’s proteges.
Otto Man
So does claiming anyone here said “Republicans do this all the time; Democrats would never do this.” John asked if Corzine had done anything nearly as crass as this, and I said no. Others said that this reminded them of other GOP Greatest Hits like Willie Horton, McCain’s “black baby,” and the like.
Democrats can play dirty too, but on a whole they don’t play as dirty as the GOP.
Kimmitt
But you don’t understand! If Democratic candidates do it rarely and Republican candidates do it regularly, that means both parties are EXACTLY THE SAME! How can we maintain the illusion of sameness if you won’t accept false equivalency? How can you get your pudding if you won’t eat your meat?
Shygetz
My hat is off to John Cole–showing that Republican isn’t yet synonymous with amoral.
Another Jeff
My God, some of you people really are dumb enough to believe that Democrats do it rarely.
Would that be the same as having the daughter of a murder victim say that opposing hate-crimes legislation is like murdering her father all over again?
frizza
I think it’s lowball to use an ex-wife as campaign fodder, but the point has been raised that Corzine brought her into politics when she was used in his past ads as a character reference. In his senate campaign, she talked about what a family man he was and attested to his character. Her new take may be valid, but can be completely discounted because of her presumed status as a bitter ex.
So to sum it up, I think it’s dirty but not unethical
Otto Man
That NAACP ad was reprehensible. And not put out by the Democrats.
Can you name a single national or state Democratic ad that comes even close to some of the dishonest and dirty ads put out by the Republicans? Just in the 1988 presidential campaign alone, you had the Willie Horton ad, the ad which purported to show a polluted Boston Harbor put which really showed a former nuclear sub yard, the ad which noted that Dukakis was a member of the ACLU (and then showed a card saying “American Communist Labor Union”), and tons more. All of them came from Atwater at the heart of the Bush campaign.
Again, can you name a single Democratic ad from a presidential or state-wide campaign that comes close?
Andrei
Seems like the most appropriate thing to do here is the actually go back and compile as much public record on this for both Dems and GOP. Until then, it’s all speculation or gut feel on who does what more or worse.
And the ad hominem comment holds no water until you can cite that indeed Dems do not do this sort of thing rarely. (I’m not saying they don’t, but I’m in agreement that it feels like they do it far less often than the GOP.)
Dantheman
The closest to this level of nonsense I can recall is Bob Casey Sr.’s ad in the closing days of the 1986 PA Governor’s race, showing pictures of his opponent (Bill Scranton Jr.) circa 1969 looking like a hippie with sitar music in the bacground. It only played in the Republican middle of the state and is estimated to have depressed the Republican vote in that section enough to turn a toss-up into a Casey win.
I abstained from my usual support of the Democrat in the race in protest of the ad.
Jay
I have to laugh at the people who actually believe their own bullshit when they say, “The Democrats don’t do this nearly as much as those mean Republicans!!” One has to be deluded into thinking that one side or another “does it more.”
Having lived in New Jersey for 20 of my 35 years, I can say that I have seen quite a few despicable ads, and many of them have come from Democrats. And it happens all over.
I’ll name two off the top of my head: A radio ad a few years ago in Missouri that reminded peole to vote Democrat or else you “let another church explode” or “let another cross burn.”
In Montana in 2002, Democrats ran a totally homophobic ad using old footage of Mike Taylor showing him in the late 70’s practicing his hair styling profession and applying lotion to the face of a male customer.
So please, stop slapping yourselves on the back.
Another Jeff
Says the man who calls women the C-word.
DougJ
Jay, and what about that interview Aaron Broussard did with Tim Russert? That’s twice as sleazy as this. Or Hilary having Vince Foster killed? You’ve got to admit, murdering someone is worse than running a nasty advert? Am I right?
Jay
That NAACP ad was reprehensible. And not put out by the Democrats.
Oh puh-lease. The ad was put out to specifically to benefit Democrats, particularly Al Gore. That ad was received by the Gore campaign with open arms.
If you want to use that logic, then you cannot bring up the Willie Horton ad as it was “not put out by” the RNC or by the Bush campaign.
Matt D
Be you a Democrat or Republican, if you really think that your party somehow has the moral highground on the issue of tasteless negative campaign ads, then you are a partisan hack who should not be taken seriously. If you want to go on believing that your ideas are morally superior, that’s one thing, but you want to tell me that one party is somehow “above” the petty politics of negative campaigning, then you’re just not paying attention. It’s this delusional attitude that leads to what’s going on in Maryland right now, where black Democratic politicians are excusing racist attacks on Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele in his campaign for Senate because he is a black conservative Republican, and therefore on the “wrong side,” so such attacks are fair game.
Andrei
Given that is in the past, and no amount of explanation by me will convince you I did it as nothing more than a crass stunt as a response to my frustration at the level of attack rhetoric present these days, can we just let it go? The tone on Balloon-Juice has moved in a direction that is extremely positive this past week. Let’s keep it going in that direction please? I’m asking nicely, without any snark involved.
My post is intended to give you just enough leeway to use the ad hominem if you can cite some concrete evidence to make the attack in the first place. That’s all. It’s an invitation for you to prove that your are correct beyond the realm of just saying so. Consider it an opportunity.
ppGaz
The sweet wine of successful ends washes away the bitter taste of vulgar means.
We live in an EJM world. Get over it.
ppGaz
Oh, I forgot: /DougJ
DougJ
Is that that kind of weird html snark that is all the rage, meaning “end DougJ”?
arb
The Kilgore ad in VA mentioned above is even worse than it sounds in the conmment. The ad attacks Kilgore as being pro-death penalty because at some point in the past he served as *court-appointed counsel* to an indigent murder defendant. Most people would consider this action to be one that upholds one of the pillars of our justice system (right to counsel), but Kilgore got the victim’s relatives to go on TV and smear Kaine for it.
Also Kaine has admitted that he is personally opposed to the death penalty due to his Catholic beliefs.
Middlewing
Same sh*t, different day. Nice to see some Bushican’s finally waking up. I guess since the President’s sinking popularity and half his staff facing ethical or criminal charges, it’s time for the rats to jump ship.
Pete
The current ad campaign is a shame. Both candidates are very well qualified and would, in my opinion, make good governors. But this ad is really offensive.
A political analyst in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer said such ads are not meant to change anybody’s mind. Instead, they are used as a “Hail Mary” approach. The theory is that undecided voters, or voters who feel weakly about the election or the candidates, will be so offended by ads that they will blow off the election and not vote. Apparently, such ads make them feel that politics is a dirty, nasty business and they want no part of it. Low turnout often helps the candidate doing poorer in the polls, according to the analyst.
DougJ
We can’t trust Catholics anymore anyway, since they’re soft on ID.
ppGaz
DougJay: Yes. It got left off my EJM post. I am reduced to channeling you now. I hope you are satisfied.
/DougJ
/Irony
/Smartass
DougJ
Oh, I get it. I was thinking of doing at the begining of my sincere posts.
ppGaz
[sincere]
Me too.
[/sincere]
Percy's PoP
Frowned upon? How radical!
How low can you go? Low enough to start a war on false pretenses? Low enough to out a CIA agent for political gain?
There ain’t no low low enough for these folks if it means getting or keeping POWER!
You sleep with these pigs and you get up smelling like them. The American public is about to clean house and all you honest Conservatives are going to get swept out with the shit like Forrester. That’s what you get for failing to keep your own vermin under control.
I’m surprised nobody’s tried to blame Bill Clinton (yet).
The Disenfranchised Voter
Oh give me a break.
You think that was a rebuttal? You sound like a whining Bill Frist. Go cry to papa Frist.
Kimmitt
I’m pretty sure you’re gonna have some trouble finding Democratic push-polls regarding opponents’ illegitimate mixed-race children . . . in a primary.
The Disenfranchised Voter
And speaking as an independent voter from NJ, Forrester is a scumball, but only slightly more than Corzine. The add crosses the line and it is not surprising (because this is typical Republican Rovian tactics–see McCain in SC or Max Cleland for reference). Forrestor knows he has got a real chance here, so that is why he is running it.
Hopefully Corzine will be up enough so I can actually vote my coinscience and not for the lesser of two evils.
Jeff Pawlowski for governor! :)
The Disenfranchised Voter
ad*
hasn’t got*
conscience*
Stormy70
Here, I will go out on a limb and make a prediction. The Democrat will win in New Jersey. Seriously, what chance does Forrester really have to take Jersey. None. He never did, attack ad or no.
Didn’t Corzine bang a Union honey and give her money as a loan then excuse it? Then her union endorsed him. Ahhh, Jersey.
jobiuspublius
My Joisey contacts showed me what trash they get during elections. You think Forrester is sleaze now, you should have seen what he did during the primaries. The infighting is even worse. He mailed out rotten fliers against his fellow party man Schundler that were made to look like they came from Schundler. He was happily posing with Dear Dumbass before the Putz in Chief became radioactive. Forrester is total bullshit.
Chat Gregory Clussman
I’ve given you a hard time in your comments section before but I want to commend you for standing up for decency. Seems like that would be a full-time job given the state of the Republican party (sorry, couldn’t let that one pass…). At any rate, thank you for your honesty.
Evil Progressive
What else is new?
Lies and smears are a Republican trademark.
Remember the trashing of the war records of people such as Kerry, Cleland, and McCain? All done by a bunch of draft-dodgers. Those slime bags even attack their own when it serves their sordid interests. The Republicans have no morals, hence, no shame.
Darrell
Except for the minor detail that the Republican party denied doing that, and they denounced the act. Besides that, you’ve got a ‘solid’ point there. Definitely on par with associating Bush with the dragging death of a black man by racists
Presumably, you’re too ignorant to know that Al Gore, NOT Republicans, first raised Willie Horton as a political issue in the Dem primaries trying to attack Dukakis. Oops. And Boston harbor * really was * polluted as hell, so what was so dishonest about pointing that out since Dukakis had been governor and was attacking Bush on environmental issues. You lefties really seem to know what you’re talking about
Darrell
yeah, next thing you know, they’ll be running ads associating candidates of the other party of with the dragging death of a black man. oh, wait. Anything Repubs have ever done equivalent to that Democrat ad (through NAACP subsidiary) tying Bush directly to a racist murder?? No? what was that again about no morals, no shame? Hypocritical scumbags
Alexandra
I think most people know at least one person who’s been through a bitter divorce. A bitter divorce is a bitter divorce. You can predict that the one who can’t move on has extremely nasty things to say about the one who has. These comments may or may not be justified, but they tend to reveal things about the person who is speaking that are at least as it does about his or her ex partner. Frankly, I find bitchy comments by an ex-husband or an ex-wife extremely tedious. Even if Corzine was a lousy husband–and maybe his ex-wife was a lousy wife, too, so what can I say?– he was a good senator. So I suggest that Mrs. Ex Corzine get some therapy, get a job, and stop sounding so desperate. Move On, honey.
Kimmitt
Um, the Party may have denied doing it, but it selected (twice) the man who did it as its standard-bearer. That’s nice.
Darrell
Proof of who did it? Solid evidence? Anything? another ‘solid’ point you have there Kimmitt
Peter
Apparently the ad is working – On the national Sunday morning shows they said the race is narrowing. They identified female suburban voters as being the most affected by the ad. The “He screwed me and now he’ll screw NJ” message seems to have a resonance with them.
The Disenfranchised Voter
I guarantee Corzine wins. This race may seem close but it isn’t.
andrew
Good.
The discrediting of slime machines is one thing I hope to come from the brawl in Washington.
The right has been more effective (McCain is a Norh Vietnamese agent etc.) but much of the left has the same attitude and is fighting “moderate” democrats.
Sadly a ranting minority on both sides have managed to frame the context of many debates.
Governator
Does it strike anyone else that two instances here (the “homophobic” ad and “Al Gore brought up Willie Horton first”) aren’t actually attacks that Democrats made, but instead internalized revisions made by Republicans to the narrative in order to attack Democrats?
Just saying, when even your efforts to prove equivalency are dishonest Republican smears…
Chris
I, too am a Democrat who respects the fact that you spoke up on this issue. I certainly don’t believe no Democrat has ever done an unfair ad, but the tone really changed with the emergence of Lee Atwater and his dirty tricks. The man was pretty proud of his tactics and made a career out of them. Prior to him, dirty tricks tended to be played on a somewhat more benign level.
As far as Willie Horton goes, perhaps Darrell could do a little research before declaring other people ignorant. And Darrell, by research I don’t mean reading right wing blogs. In one primary debate, Al Gore brought up the Massachusetts furlough program, and mentioned that two furloughed prisoners had committed murder. Neither of those prisoners was Willie Horton. It was a legitimate question about a Massachusetts policy. He didn’t mention race and he didn’t mention Willie Horton. The Republicans have since spun that to “Al Gore first talked about Willie Horton.” But perhaps you are just to ignorant to know that.
I think the Republican attempts to question the loyalty and patriotism of people like Max Cleland were way over the line. Saxby Chambliss ran ads showing pictures of Saddam and bin Laden, claiming that Cleland had voted against Homeland Security. I guess the fact that the ads ignored the fact that Cleland had actually written the Homeland Security bill could be chalked up to simple lying. But implying that Cleland was somehow allied with Saddam and bin Laden was inexcusable. The Republicans made a big point of questioning people’s loyalty to this country, which to me is inexcusable.