Political Ads

Having grown up in a state with two secure Senators, a late Presidential primary, and Republican dominance in Presidential elections stretching back beyond World War II, Presidential and Senatorial television ads still are a novelty to me. This year YouTube has allowed me to explore the genre fully. Below are my nominations for the best ads of this season.

Best video
Norm Coleman (R for Senate in Minnesota), "Deliver on a Promise"
Mark Udall (D for Senate in Colorado), "Stand Up"
Mark Warner (D for Senate in Virginia), "Virginia Independence. Real Results."

Best short introduction
Al Franken (D for Senate in Minnesota), "Mrs. Molin"
Kay Hagan (D for Senate in North Carolina), "Roots"
Mary Landrieu (D for Senate in Louisiana) "Fighter"
Barack Obama (D presidential nominee), "What if"
Bill Richardson (D presidential candidate), "Job Interview"
Bob Schaffer (R for Senate in Colorado), "Moving Forward"

Best single issue ad
Mark Begich (D for Senate in Alaska), "Energy Leader"
Al Franken (D for Senate in Minnesota), "Invest Here"
John McCain (R presidential nominee), "God's Children"
Barack Obama (D presidential nominee), "Return"
Mark Warner (D for Senate in Virginia), "Budget Mess"

Note I'm not endorsing these candidates or even the positions they take in these ads. Rather I hope to show that its possible and desirable for political discourse to be inspiring (and sometimes even intelligent) in any medium.