There's this ad that has run for some time on TV.  The big ruddy faced business man who looks like he'd be comfortable if he could stick his cigar back in his mouth, is filling the right half of the split screen.  The viewer wonders why the ad agency opted for the closeup shot, considering the cranky fat cat look it gives the candidate.  The left half has a darkened picture of some younger, more handsome guy named Nodine.  Again the viewer has questions.  Are they trying to hide the fact that Nodine is more polished looking by diming the light?  Maybe the ad agency actually works for Nodine and they are trying to sabatage the big guys campaign without the big guy's catching on.  The voiceover says that their candidate (on the right) is a professional business executive while Nodine is vague about his employment background.  As the voice speaks the words “Political Consultant” appears below the simi dark picture on the left.  “Hmmm,“ the view muses, “last week the high school kid we hire to mow the grass told me he owns his own lawn mower and is therefore a business owner and executive.  A political consultant usually has a degree in Political Science.  Hmmm.”  The voiceover then says “Nodine isn't even from here,” and the words “New Jersey” appears below Nodine.  “Wow!“ thinks the viewer, “That does it for me.  No way am I gonna vote for no Yankee carpetbagger, 'cause the South will rise again.“  Then the voice tells the viewer that Nodine accepted contributions from an out of town firm that got a zoning change by the very panel (zoning commission) that Nodine is a member of so they could dump toxic chemicals in Mobile.  “Oh my aching pinkish neck,” exclaims the viewer out loud.  “They couldn't put out an ad saying that if it ain't true.  Not only will I vote against Nodine, but I'm gonna run him out of town on a rail.”

June 25, 2004, Mobile, Alabama.  I was working the newswatch at 6.  My name is Friday.  My partner is a gamble.  Channel Five had a story about the very ad I've been seeing.  They brought out the fact that Nodine got a contribution from a road building company.  So did the other candidate.  Nodine wasn't at work the day the panel he serves on voted on the matter in question.  The toxic material in question is a chemical all road builders use and must have a zoning varience to store, including the road builders who contributed to the other candidate's campaign.  So much for honesty in political ads.  Just the facts, folks.  Just the facts.

There are a million stories in the naked political arena.  This has been one of them.