I’m sure most of you have seen, or at least heard of, the controversial ad put forward to Ohio voters by gubernatorial hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy. Many of you have probably even read or heard arguments for and against such tactics. I’m not here to add to the debate. Today, I want to step away from partisan arguments and discuss what these moments say about our nation’s civic health.
Consider the specifics of what the ad both sought to do and what it did. Taken in the most charitable light, the ad took a private disagreement between a mother and a daughter and made it public to persuade voters that a candidate is untrustworthy. The campaign aired a family grievance on television to paint a daughter in a bad light. Even if that was all the ad did, it still reflects severe civic decay in America.
