Posted on 05/15/2005 4:31:09 AM PDT by billorites
In the final days before the election, the attack ads have come on strong. The mayor is dogged by a corruption scandal. His challenger is accused of coddling child abusers and hobnobbing with a crack dealer.
The ads being broadcast by Mayor James Hahn and challenger Antonio Villaraigosa depict a world so corrupt it's hard to figure out where one scandal starts and another ends.
"An average voter is being told that the best they can hope for is the lesser of two very great evils," said media consultant Dan Schnur, who has no ties to either campaign.
The two Democrats, Hahn, 54, and Villaraigosa, 52, have been throwing sharp elbows for months. But the latest ads in the run-up to Tuesday's election are notable for their strong negative images.
Hahn's latest ad is a tongue-twister in which an announcer manages to squeeze in four separate attacks in 15 seconds involving child abusers, gangs and illicit drugs.
"Los Angeles can't trust Antonio Villaraigosa," it concludes.
A Villaraigosa ad is hooked to the ongoing criminal probes at City Hall. "Where will the investigation end?" a narrator asks. "Isn't it time for a change?"
Villaraigosa has maintained a lead in polls and fundraising. The final pre-election campaign finance reports showed him raising nearly $3.8 million, compared to $1.4 million for Hahn. The gap can be seen on television advertising, where Villaraigosa has spent $3 million, compared with $1.2 million by Hahn.
The frenzy of on-air finger pointing is rooted in facts that are often inverted, scrubbed or stretched to fit the needs of each campaign.
Villaraigosa's ads target the ongoing investigation into allegations that city contracts were traded for campaign donations, but overlook the fact that no one in the Hahn administration has been charged. A Hahn ad knocks Villaraigosa for raising $179,000 from Florida supporters but doesn't mention he has Florida donors too.
"If all voters knew is what they saw in TV advertising, they wouldn't know what's going on," said Republican consultant Allan Hoffenblum.
Four years ago Hahn defeated Villaraigosa after running a TV ad that focused on his rival's efforts to free an imprisoned cocaine dealer. This time, he has criticized Villaraigosa for voting against a bill that would have toughened penalties for child abusers.
Analysts expect the blanket of negative TV ads will drive down turnout, but there are arguments as to which candidate would benefit. A Los Angeles Times poll this past week showed Hahn had reduced Villaraigosa's lead, but still lagged by 11 points.
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