A Time of Quiet Contemplation Before the Bloody Melee of Election Day

            I’m feeling contemplative this week, blogosphere. Whether it’s the peaceful chill in the fall air, or the fact that my brain has been wiped clean and numbed by the never-ending gamut of attack ads, I’m in the mood for looking back to review what we’ve covered so far, what has changed, and what has yet to come.



Think of wide, open spaces. No more political ads, just wide. Open. Spaces.



So, before the madness of the next two weeks begins, this post is going to do what the Guinta and Shea-Porter camps are probably doing as we speak: evaluating their campaigns and retooling it for the last leg of the race.

            Let’s see: we’ve talked about the primaries, attack ads, the importance of money, and policy positions. Certainly, advertising and money seem to take precedence over actual issues in campaigns these days, as discussing specific issues can alienate voters. Guinta and Shea-Porter have definitely stuck to this model, pumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into endless ads and rallies that promote their candidate, but not much else.

            As far as where the race is right now, it’s – as I mentioned in the beginning – at the critical point where the campaigns need to carefully examine what is working for them, what isn’t, and how to streamline their major campaign messages. Both of the candidates will probably be creating a few final, powerful slogans to get their message through to voters right before Election Day. Simplest messages can absolutely be powerful, especially if it sticks in voters’ minds and speaks to some deep dissatisfaction with the incumbent and/or national political agenda.

            I’m not sure what’s to come, but I'm guessing that Guinta’s increasing lead in the polls does not bode well for Shea-Porter. Additionally, from what I have seen on Guinta’s versus Shea-Porter’s websites, it seems that Guinta is running a much more aggressive ad campaign as opposed to Shea-Porter. If he manages to convert enough voters with his advertising, it could spell disaster for Shea-Porter.

            Next week we’re gonna take a look at the final countdown before Election Day, and see if any exciting last minute changes take place! Keep holding your breath, District 1, because I think this is gonna be close!