sleeze criteria

[varwoche]

Are there criteria that members here can agree upon to measure the sleeziness of political ads, and culpability of the candidates for said ads? Here's a strawman:

A) Untruth dimension
Scale of 1-5 (or whatever) where 1=white lie and 5=whopper

B) Severity dimension (i.e. a rape charge versus a dandruff charge):
Scale of 1-5 where 1=dandruff and 5=rape

C) Characteristics Dimension (multi-select ) -- these are the noxious attributes that occur to me.
P. Personal attack
F. Attack family members
R. Race baiting
B. Compare opponent to Hitler/Osama/BogeymanX

D) Culpability dimension
1. 3rd party advocacy group
2. 3rd party advocacy group with proven ties to candidate/party
3. Official campaign ad

For instance, the ad that tied Bush to the hate slaying in Texas:

A. Untruth: 4?
B. Severity: 3 or 4?
C. Chacteristics: R (race baiting)
D. Culpability: don't know

I'm not interested in feedback on my grading of the anti-Bush ad (yet), but rather the criteria.

 

[varwoche]

OK, we're all in agreeement then.

Here are the ads/campaigns that have impressed me as hardcore sleeze:

- swiftboat anti-Kerry ads
- morphing moderate senator Max Cleland, Vietnam amputee, into Osama
- campaign against McCain in North Carolina
- tying Bush to the hate slaying in Texas
- anti-Dukakis Willie Horton ad

Any others?

I'll get back to the grading if/when interest is shown.

 

[crackmonkey]

You're seriously equating Kerry's crewman (and fellow officers) raising objections about Kerry's recollections of events they witnessed (one of the Swiftboat guys was Kerry's crewman, many were fellow officers who were involved in the same firefights as Kerry and have starkly different recollections) with the smear against Bush as condoning a racist murder?
Consider as well, that Kerry has changed his story on some of the questioned events after the Swiftboat ads came out...
You seriously consider these to be cut from the same cloth?

 

[fishbob]

Mr Crackmonkey sir:

The evaluation is of the sleaziness of the ads, not the seriousness of the content.

 

[varwoche]

You're seriously equating Kerry's crewman (and fellow officers) raising objections about Kerry's recollections of events they witnessed (one of the Swiftboat guys was Kerry's crewman, many were fellow officers who were involved in the same firefights as Kerry and have starkly different recollections) with the smear against Bush as condoning a racist murder?
Consider as well, that Kerry has changed his story on some of the questioned events after the Swiftboat ads came out...
You seriously consider these to be cut from the same cloth?

I hugely take issue with your generous characterization of the swiftees, though I'd prefer to take up the particulars in the swifty thread. But since you mention, here is how I grade the swifty ads:

A. Untruth: 4
B. Severity: 4
C. Characteristics: P (personal attack)
D. Culpability: 2

Now I realize the Characteristics dimension needs a retroactive choice -- retroactivity is a strong sleeze indicator.