The following is part of a continuing series analyzing political advertising this campaign season.
Party: nonpartisan
TV ad: “Honest debate”
Length: 30 seconds
Producer: Glover Park Group, Washington, D.C.
Market: Statewide, television (similar ad on radio)
Announcer: Woman’s voice
Visuals: Ad begins with a clip of the CasinosNO! (opponents) ad, featuring former district attorney Janet Mills. Soft, serious music plays in background. After that clip, the ad features mostly text: large white type over a black background, blocks of type over whites and blues that zoom in and out. The ad also shows a Bangor Daily News story about controversy surrounding the opposition ad. Other than Mills, no person is shown.
Text, audio: A woman’s voice says: “Maine has a tradition of honest debate. But unfortunately the first ad from opponents of the resort casino doesn’t meet that standard. One station called it intentionally misleading and factually incorrect. The facts: The resort casino’s books can be audited by the state. The agreement expires after 20 years unless the state and the tribes renew it. And it’s projected to create 10,000 jobs and $100 million in new revenue for the state each year. This is a big decision. Take the time to think about it.”
Purpose: To convince voters that the opposition ad – which brought up concerns with the law behind the referendum – is wrong, and to convince voters a casino would be good for Maine.
Accuracy: In recent years “Maine’s tradition of honest debate” has gone out the window when it comes to political advertising. There is no “standard” for political advertising.
When CasinoNO!’s first ad came out Sept. 9, two television stations pulled it after pro-casino lawyer Dan Wathen, former chief justice of the Maine Supreme Court, called it “false and deceptive.” After minor changes, the ad was soon back on both stations.
Under the proposed law, state auditors have “unfettered access … to all records,” although those records must, under the law, be kept confidential without the consent of the tribes.
The law, which would actually amend the federal 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act, would be in force for 20 years unless both the Legislature and the tribes agree to changes.
As for projections, no one knows how many jobs and money a casino would generate. A consulting group hired by the casino developers has projected it would create up to 10,000 jobs – almost 5,000 directly at the resort casino – and up to $100 million in new revenue for the state.
Our view: Honest debate? Give us a break. Political advertising in Maine falls victim to the same tactics of spin as it does everywhere else. Otherwise, this ad accurately describes the language behind the casino ballot question and labels economic impact projections as just that, projections.
The fact that Think About It responded to opponents’ ad says something. The group realizes that the terms of the casino deal are open for interpretation and that a skeptical public could be convinced that bad things are buried underneath pages of legalese. There’s a lot more to this issue than the benign ballot question suggests. That’s Think About It’s biggest hurdle and both sides know it.
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