THE POLITICS OF ADVERTISING

We expect those seeking elected office to espouse the highest ideals — sadly their election ads don’t

They come with titles such as “Sabotage,” “Scandal” and “Puppet,” and their soundtracks assail our living rooms during otherwise innocuous commercial breaks.

Election Day is a mere six weeks away, and the political ads highlighting the best — and worst — of each candidate are running at consistent intervals during our favorite television shows.

Congressional candidates from both the

House and Senate will be on the ballot Nov. 6. That means big money is being poured into competitive races through television and online media buys.

In the Senate, incumbent Tim Kaine (D), is challenged by Corey Stewart (R) and Matt Waters (L).

In District 1, incumbent Rob Wittman (R), is challenged by Democrat Vangie Williams. U.S. Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D) has no challenger for his District 3 seat.

House District 2 between incumbent Republican Scott Taylor and Democrat Elaine Luria has had a spotlight of news coverage aimed at it because of Rep. Taylor’s failed efforts to help get independent candidate Shaun Brown on the ballot.

A special prosecutor is conducting a criminal investigation, and state police have launched two separate investigations to examine signatures on Ms. Brown’s petitions, some of which were gathered by Rep. Taylor’s campaign staff. (You can read more about why Ms. Brown will not appear on the ballot at dailypress.com/politics).

The issues these candidates will face, if elected, are far too nuanced for a 30-second TV spot. So it’s important to seek out sources of information that seek the truth. After all, there is no standard for accuracy in campaign ads, and their creators may be obscured or hard to identify

Daily Press reporters have highlighted the Hollywoodesque deception in some of these ads. A 30-second TV spot touting Ms. Luria’s military credentials appeared to show her in an enclosed bridge of a Navy ship at sea. Instead, it was an illusion that used a mix of stock footage, lighting, computer-generated editing and the candidate standing in a museum exhibit in Norfolk.

Another television spot paid for by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee claims Rep. Taylor is “at-large” a phrase often used by law enforcement to describe suspects wanted for questioning. In fact, the police are not searching for Rep. Taylor.

Oftentimes, political ads sprinkle falsehoods in with morsels of truth. Negative campaigning and other forms of coercive political advertisements are as old as elected government. While studies have shown that negative ads are more memorable than the positive, upbeat ones, they can also backfire. It’s all a part of a strategy to get the candidates elected, rather than fully inform the public.

It’s because of these ads — and the many more still to come this election season — that you should seek out a neutral arbiter of the facts. The Daily Press and its sister paper, the VirginianPilot, are two of those sources.

It is part of our responsibility in our community to inform our readers, and we believe the best way to do that is through a combination of objective reporting in our news pages and careful analysis on these opinion pages.

We endorse because we are confident no other outlet can better inform voters on and around the Peninsula.

Election Day is your chance to make your voice heard. You should show up that day with the full knowledge of the candidates, their backgrounds and their opinions of issues you feel are important.

There is no better place than the local newspapers — and their websites — to find that information. The research you do prior to the election will sharpen your knowledge when it comes time to fill in the ballot at your local precinct.

Also consider seeking information provided by independent watchdogs such as the Virginia Public Access Project (vpap.org), which has published a breakdown of the media buys for each House and Senate race.

In the coming weeks, the Daily Press editorial board will begin the process of meeting face-toface with candidates for elected office. We will ask them questions we feel are important to the Peninsula and larger Hampton Roads community. And we will make endorsements in those races in the days leading up to the election, which will appear both in print and online.

We invite everyone who is running to meet with us, and we will not consider endorsing anyone who declines.

We are not telling you how to vote on Nov. 6. That is your decision. But we do feel an obligation to share our analysis.

You cannot simply rely on the advertising you see on television or the flyers you find jammed in your front doors to gauge the best candidates for elected office.

Continue to read the news coverage and analysis of these campaigns as a way of performing research prior to Election Day.

We encourage you to remain engaged during this campaign season. After all, elections are the foundation on which we have built our democratic institutions.