With midterms around the corner, the attack ads flooding my physical mailbox and email inbox are officially out of control. Every campaign seems to have something nasty to say about the other, and I can’t help but laugh at both sides. Like seriously, who comes up with this stuff?
To distract myself from the impending doom of November 3, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite smear campaigns of the year. Because if we are going to be subjected to political propaganda every time we turn on the TV or open our inbox, we might as well get some entertainment out of it.
- “Liberal Weirdo”
Too Loco For Texas was the first anti-Talarico Ad I had seen this year. I was watching YouTube videos with my roommate when all of a sudden a dubbed voice came through my screen, with James Talarico as its target. The ad takes strings together Talarico discussing religion and gender, framing his comments as evidence he is too strange and radical for Texas. The whole thing reminded me of “WatchMojo” covering the worst moments of “Jackass.”
- “Radical James Talarico”
Ablaze – Radical James Talarico is Anti- Texas
“Oil, beef, a way of life radical James Talarico wants to set it ablaze.”
It ends with a picture of Talarico wearing a mask as if that is the most radical thing a person can do. God forbid someone tries to keep their germs to themselves.
- “He’ll do what he does best”
Ken Paxton’s Travel Records Are UNBELIEVABLE
This entire video sounds like someone doing an impression of Trump’s voice, and I cannot get over it. The ad digs through Ken Paxton’s travel records to demonstrate just how well he supposedly knows Texas. Apparently, all those resort visits are doing wonders for his knowledge of the state.
- “Guys like him expect you to pick up the check”
Democrats have narrowed down what exactly they are digging into this season, and apparently, corruption is on the menu. This little nod to men who expect women to pick up the check feels less like a political attack and more like a bad first date.
- Out Of Left Field
Nothing says political extremism quite like putting everyone in ‘woke’ jerseys, handing out a tutu, and carrying a pride flag. I’m not sure who designed this fine work of mail, but I’d love to be a fly on the wall during this meeting.
- “Ken Paxton Takes Them Down”
To whoever made this video ad: thank you. Somehow, this campaign managed to make Paxton look like he doesn’t even want to be reminded of the hundreds of missing children Texas is dealing with. The ad has been described in the Indy100 as the “worst campaign ad of all time,” and honestly, I can see the argument.
- AI Generated Attacks
Alright guys, we all know my stance on AI, but my God, I can not stop watching the videos attacking Talarico. At this point, political campaigns have decided reality itself isn’t embarrassing enough. One ad had Talarico dressed as Maria from “The Sound of Music” singing about transgender children.
Apparently, Paxton’s campaign opponents decided his personal life deserved its own B-52s music video. Coryn released an AI-generated parody of “Love Shack” featuring Paxton with two alleged mistresses whose faces are conveniently hidden behind black squares.
But let’s remember one thing, guys: fearmongering should not sway your vote, and doing your research before filling out your ballot matters. VOTE411 lets you compare candidates and check their stances on important issues without having to dig through a million campaign ads.
Just Vote, Just Vote
All jokes aside, please go vote on November 3 so I can finally stop seeing these ads every five minutes. Whether I’m doomscrolling on Instagram, checking my messages, or watching TV, I think we have all seen enough political propaganda to last us a lifetime.
If you’re a Texas voter, here are a few resources to help you prepare:
- https://www.votetexas.gov/ – Here you can check your registration, what we are voting for, and where you can vote.
- Your Voting Guide – League of Women Voters of Texas created this guide to make sure you know who and what you are voting on!