Political TV Ads: That's Enough!
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Political TV Ads: That's Enough!

Why are we spending so much on TV ads?

19
Political TV Ads: That's Enough!
google images

We all know and love campaigning season. The candidates back-and-forth banter, the bumper stickers and, of course, the countless political TV ads. You can't watch your favorite television show without seeing at least three ads on every commercial. And unfortunately, they're almost all negative. Rarely do you see a candidate actually promoting themselves and what they are going to do for the country. In fact, with this year's campaign, presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have countless ads bashing and trash-talking each other.

Watching this campaign is like watching a divorced couple argue. There is constant negativity and it leaks into the political ads on TV. I don't know about you, but I don't want to see candidates bashing each other; I want to see what they are going to do for the country. Just this year, the political ads cost $4.4 billion, which is higher than the $3.8 billion cost in 2012, according to the Nevada Public Radio. That number is outrageous, and in reality, TV ads have a minor effect on the public's vote. The three televised debates have a bigger effect because it gives more insight into what the candidates goals are (although with these two, it's a cat-and-mouse game). Why are we spending so much on TV ads? $4.4 billion is an insane amount to spend on television ads when it can be used elsewhere.

The unfortunate problem about TV ads is that because they are played so often, people get tired of them. Most people don't care about commercials anyway, so not much attention is paid to them like before.

So the question is, what can that money go towards? First off, more positive campaigns! I cannot tell you how often I DON'T see these. I have seen one from each candidate this campaign season. Those reach so many more people because that's what America wants to see. We want a candidate to tell us what they're going to do for education, what they're going to do about health care and so much more! It could even go towards the homeless, the hungry, and not to mention, the plethora of non-profit organizations all over the United States. Ads only make a 2 to 3 percentage difference, which can be huge at the end of the race, so why not use those billions of dollars to promote yourself? Watching negative ads is quite childish, and it's like they're picking on each other. It leaves a sour taste in voters' mouths.

With the election coming to a close, lots of people will be happy to no longer see political ads taking over television. Hopefully, candidates in the future will come to their senses and stop spending billions on silly TV ads that make them look foolish.

Cheers to the most entertaining and ridiculous candidates America has ever seen! Happy voting!


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

27 Hidden Joys

Appreciation for some of life's most discredited pleasures.

27616
Best Things in Life

Life is full of many wonderful pleasures that many of us, like myself, often forget about. And it's important to recognize that even on bad days, good things still happen. Focusing on these positive aspects of our day-to-day lives can really change a person's perspective. So in thinking about the little things that make so many of us happy, I've here's a list of some of the best things that often go unrecognized and deserve more appreciation:

Keep Reading...Show less
beer on the beach

Summer is hot and humid, and it's almost like summer was made specifically to drink the refreshing, cold, crisp wonderful, delicious, nutritious nectar of the gods. Which is none other than beer; wonderful cold beer. With summer playing peek-a-boo around the corner while we finish up this semester, it's time to discuss the only important part of summer. And if you haven't already guessed, it's beer. There are few things I take more seriously than my beer, in order are: sports... and beer. Here are my favorite summer brews:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

7 Reasons SoCal Rocks!

75 degrees and sunny, plus, no humidity. I mean do I really need to say more?

1930
woman in black and white long sleeve shirt carrying girl in red jacket in Venice beach
Photo by Jeff Hopper on Unsplash

SoCal summers are the best summers by far, and honestly, no argument is needed. But, if you aren't sure why SoCal summers are the best, here are 7 reasons why!

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

25 Lyrics for Selfie Captions

Because let's be honest, we all use lyrics.

54042
woman takes a selfie for social media
Pixabay

Sometimes you can't think of the perfect caption for your Instagram post. I love using lyrics as my captions because there's so many great lines in songs that just seem to fit in the moment. Here are some lyrics that could work for your selfie or pictures of you with your friends!

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Bruce Springsteen's Top 7 Lyrics

Everything Bruce says in his classic rock songs.

20526
bruce springsteen album cover born in the usa

Anyone who was born and raised in New Jersey (or anywhere really) knows of Bruce Springsteen, whether or not they like him is a whole other situation. I hope that his hundreds of classic rock songs and famous high energy performances, even in his sixties he can put on better concerts than people half his age, are at least recognizable to people of all ages. Love him or hate him (I identify with the former) you have to admit that some of his songs and interviews have inspirational quotes and lyrics.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments