Kennedy Versus Ballard Ads

We've got about a month more of watching these endless number of campaign ads being run by the campaigns of Mayor Greg Ballard and his Democratic opponent, Melina Kennedy in the Indianapolis mayor's race, and I've had my fill of them already. I will say that from a stylistic standpoint, Ballard's ads are by far more professional and effective than the ones Kennedy is airing. Whoever is doing her media campaign should be fired because her ads are among the worst I've seen. Her negative ads, in particular, attacking Ballard's record are so poorly done they are actually counter-productive. If you're going to run a negative ad, at least produce one that is catchy and makes a real impression on the voter. I've always believed the most effective negative attack against an incumbent are those using his or her own words against them. Run a clip of the candidate saying one thing at one point and then saying something later that is totally contradictory of the earlier position, or run a clip of the candidate making a claim in his own words and then contrast that with the actual facts that vary from the candidate's claim. Just listening to a faceless person narrating facts with still picture images, particularly when the narrator has a forgetful-sounding voice, is a total waste of air time and money.