CAMPAIGN WATCH : Political Ads to Turn You Off

Like most Southern Californians contemplating a weekend of outdoor activities, you’re probably wondering what the air quality will be? Unfortunately, the outlook is poor. Pollution will be heavy, though in this instance the brown gunk obstructing a clear view is not smog but mud. This is the last weekend before Tuesday’s primary election, and desperate Democrats are slinging the slimy stuff with both hands.

Gubernatorial candidate Dianne Feinstein’s contributions to this foul stew are particularly squalid. The worst of the four negative ads she has thrown at John K. Van de Kamp tastelessly exploits film of a murdered woman’s body to make the false accusation that the then-Los Angeles district attorney did not want to prosecute Angelo Buono Jr., one of the Hillside Stranglers. In fact, Van de Kamp made a tactical decision to prosecute Buono for sex crimes while moving for dismissal of murder charges so that they could be reinvestigated and refiled in a stronger form.

For his part, Van de Kamp is airing a spot in which consumer advocate Ralph Nader alleges without proof that Feinstein is a “pawn of the insurance industry” because she supported a no-fault insurance proposal. No-fault is a concept supported by people across the country, and some of them may even be as honest as Ralph Nader.

Meanwhile, in the attorney general’s race, Arlo Smith’s ad assails Ira Reiner’s ethics--the only matter of record cited is a censure by the State Bar--while Reiner attacks Smith’s competence, even though their offices have virtually identical felony conviction rates.

The professional campaign managers who put together such smears do so because they believe the electorate is lazy--unwilling to decide things on the issues, when they can wallow in the seamy soap opera of personality politics. Thus, these ads are an affront not only to their targets, but also to every Californian who casts a vote Tuesday.