November 5. It can’t come soon enough!

By: Cole Buergi, VP of Business Development, Leonard & Finco Public Relations

The end is near and, I for one, am very much looking forward to it. No, I’m not taking about the end of the planet or life as we know it.

I’m referring to the endless, opponent bashing political ads that are bombarding us from all sides whether it’s print, television, radio or social media. The election is less than a week away and it seems that every available ad space is being used to tilt the scale in favor of one opponent or the other.

Come November 5, we can all take a collective sigh of relief as life becomes less filled with political rhetoric that few, if anyone, truly wants to listen to.

I agree, the candidates all need to have the opportunity to get their message across. However, do we really need the endless bombardment of negative ads from various Political Action Committee (PAC) groups, a great many from outside the state, trying to influence the way Wisconsinites vote? What does someone from Texas, California or Washington D.C. truly know about what’s best for the citizens of Wisconsin? 

No matter your politics, I think we would be better served to have the candidates square off in more debates, whereby the audience, viewers and/or listeners can get a better impression for who they want to support. It would also be great to see the candidates spend more time hosting community meetings and small group listening sessions. Yes, it may be a bit naïve or “old school” in today’s money driven political landscape, but it sure would be nice.

Do you feel you know enough about your candidate to make a good decision at the ballot? Will you be happy to have a break from the political ads, at least until the presidential election gets underway? And finally, what have you done to get away from the political noise – did you read a good book, watch movies or simply sit in a dark room by yourself?