December 10, 2008

An orgy of negativity

The race for the top seat on the Michigan Supreme Court — decided by voters Nov. 4 — took a sharp turn to the negative in the weeks leading up to Election Day.

Supporters of Republican Cliff Taylor, the incumbent chief justice, flooded the airwaves with TV ads portraying his Democratic challenger, longtime trial judge Diane Hathaway, as soft on serious criminals. "Probation for a terrorist sympathizer? We’re at war with terrorists," a pro-Taylor ad said.

Hathaway backers launched ads painting Taylor as a pawn for big business. “Call Clifford Taylor and thank him for protecting wealthy corporations from suits by women who are sexually harassed and raped at work,” a pro-Hathaway ad said.
Michigan recognized for dirtiest judicial election

Come on people, we're slipping.

2 comments:

Pete Gruett said...

The Hathaway supporters seem to have learned a lesson from the Wisconsin campaigns: There's no reward for taking the high road.

False equivalences will be made in any case so why not make them true? Yes, it further degrades the electoral process and the legitimacy of the judiciary but that's happened in Wisconsin anyway *and* corporate interests have managed to buy two seats on the supreme court.

Anonymous said...

Are you saying that judicial elections should be sacred cows?