Dear Editor:
I dislike political attack ads with a passion. I find them demeaning and often filled with lies. As citizens, we deserve much better from our candidates.
Our mayor has used attack ads in every one of his campaigns. They have ranged from silly to vicious. Recently, a group called “Stronger Foundations, Inc.,” a super PAC, circulated an ad that focused on Michael Soriano’s supposed inexperience. Perhaps our mayor has forgotten his own inexperience of eight years ago.
An attack ad speaks badly of its originator. It tells you just how low that person is willing to stoop in their desperation to get elected. This is not the kind of person that belongs in an elected office.
When I receive an attack ad, I most often automatically vote for a different candidate.
If this wasn’t such serious business, it would be funny: the attack ad reads, in part, “Michael Soriano’s inexperience COULD have cost taxpayers for political gain.” So, the ad’s basis is literally what Michael Soriano MIGHT have done if he were mayor. This effort to invent an issue is absurd, childish and insulting to voters.
It’s important to note that the lawsuit in question was filed with respect to actions taken by the administration. Ironically, this lawsuit would not exist if Soriano were in charge. This appears to be a lame attempt to take what appears as wrongdoing and actually benefit from it.
The ad also used what I think of as “obvious deviousness.” It had a disclaimer at the bottom saying that no entity influenced the foundation’s creation of the ad. If the Barberio team didn’t want or support this ad, they would have taken actions to distance themselves from it. But they did not.
Worse, the Stronger Foundation is a rather mysterious, shadowy organization, one that has spent a great deal of money in New Jersey in an attempt to influence political races. Several authors have written about them [1], [2] and [3]. This foundation appears to fund Republicans who are for larger government, requiring higher taxes. It’s clear that this organization has an agenda and that they are very well funded…but by whom?
Jack Puglis
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