Truth in political advertising

**Wolfie** · 08-23-2004, 12:29 PM

Just a rhetorical question but...

If Congress can pass a truth in advertising law to prevent businesses from lying or making false claims to the consumers, why can't they pass a law doing the same thing with all the political ads we see on the TV and online all time time? After going through factchecker and seeing all the ads that are not truthful, I think it is about time something is done about it.

HairyNevus · 08-23-2004, 12:40 PM

Aww, Wolfie. I thought you had found truth in political advertising. You got my hopes up.

Yes, I do think there should be truth in politics especially in the advertising. But you're asking the very people who lied to get into power to make it so they can't lie. Its sort of like asking them to lock themselves in with the powderkeg and light a match. The solution: elect only politicians who are truthful and trustworthy. Its a capitalism here people, we demand the truth, they supply it.

...I think that's how it works.

**TheFeniX** · 08-23-2004, 01:35 PM

"Truth" is to subjective to be regulated.

**Wolfie** · 08-23-2004, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheFeniX

"Truth" is to subjective to be regulated.

Not necessary. Truth would be easy to regulate when you force the political candidates and the attack groups out there to divulge their "facts" during the ad. For example,

Quote:

An ad released by the Media Fund Aug. 11 is targeted to Ohio, featuring Ohio residents criticizing the President for loss of jobs overseas. In it, one of them says, "When President Bush says he's going to help companies outsource jobs, it's infuriating."

Maybe it would be infuriating if Bush really had said that, but he didn't.

http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID=236

or

Quote:

The Democratic National Committee released an ad Aug. 6 saying 2.7 million manufacturing jobs had been lost under Bush. That's true, but ignores the fact that manufacturing jobs started their decline three years before Bush took office

http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID=234

or even

Quote:

Kerry's Dubious Economics
He says new jobs are paying $9,000 less than the old ones. That's not a fact.

http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID=228

or

Quote:

Bush Ad Claims Kerry Voted Against "Protections for Pregnant Women"
It's a misleading ad. What Kerry really voted against was the "Unborn Victims of Violence Act."

http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID=215

Those aren't subjective.

**TheFeniX** · 08-23-2004, 06:28 PM

Fact and truth are two mutually exclusive objects.

I can take these facts:
1. I beat two drums every morning.
2. The sun rises every morning.

and come to my own personal "truth" that my beating drums causes the sun to rise.

Ex 2:
1. Violent crime is on the rise.
2. More kids are playing violent video games

and come to the "truth" that video games are making kids violent.

This is why I find the Truth™ commercials very ironic.

08-23-2004, 12:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
Wolfie Join Date: May 2003 Location: Michigan Age: 33 Posts: 1,405	Truth in political advertising Just a rhetorical question but... If Congress can pass a truth in advertising law to prevent businesses from lying or making false claims to the consumers, why can't they pass a law doing the same thing with all the political ads we see on the TV and online all time time? After going through factchecker and seeing all the ads that are not truthful, I think it is about time something is done about it.

08-23-2004, 12:40 PM	#2 (permalink)
HairyNevus Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Minneapolis, MN Age: 19 Posts: 869	Re: Truth in political advertising Aww, Wolfie. I thought you had found truth in political advertising. You got my hopes up. Yes, I do think there should be truth in politics especially in the advertising. But you're asking the very people who lied to get into power to make it so they can't lie. Its sort of like asking them to lock themselves in with the powderkeg and light a match. The solution: elect only politicians who are truthful and trustworthy. Its a capitalism here people, we demand the truth, they supply it. ...I think that's how it works. __________________ "Adios...blimp" -Assy McGee "All of the body parts they will never find, except all the peices that I saved." -Dickie Moist "Mmmmm, Duraflame." -Mountain Man "I don't like Sci-Fi, I love LOVE LOVE it!" - Gordon Crisp

08-23-2004, 01:35 PM	#3 (permalink)
TheFeniX Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Houston, TX Age: 26 Posts: 4,473	Re: Truth in political advertising "Truth" is to subjective to be regulated. __________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TheFeniX's Steam Profile TG's Team Fortress 2 Steam Group

08-23-2004, 06:28 PM	#5 (permalink)
TheFeniX Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Houston, TX Age: 26 Posts: 4,473	Re: Truth in political advertising Fact and truth are two mutually exclusive objects. I can take these facts: 1. I beat two drums every morning. 2. The sun rises every morning. and come to my own personal "truth" that my beating drums causes the sun to rise. Ex 2: 1. Violent crime is on the rise. 2. More kids are playing violent video games and come to the "truth" that video games are making kids violent. This is why I find the Truth™ commercials very ironic. __________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TheFeniX's Steam Profile TG's Team Fortress 2 Steam Group

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