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Old-school style campaigning in 1st district commendable An Iowan cannot turn on her or his TV without being bombarded by political advertisements. Apathetic or active, Iowans have been exposed to candidates’ sound bites, montages, and policy ads for almost two years straight. Even Hawkeye sports fans are inundated with local and national election commercials during televised Iowa football games — the Iowa-Wisconsin game aired at least one political ad per commercial break. As Election Day approaches, most Iowans cannot wait for the election season to be over so that they can finally escape the daily barrage of political ads. Two years ago, Iowa’s 1st Congressional District was no different from any other district in the United States in an election year. The Republican and Democratic candidates spent millions airing negative ads against each other. Televised and radio political advertisements were in constant circulation. The Quad City Times reported that the hard-fought race between Democrat Bruce Braley and Republican Mike Whalen was the district’s most expensive race ever. The district this year race between incumbent Braley and Republican state Sen. David Hartsuch offers a stark contrast to the current presidential race and the high-budget contest of two years ago. Not a single TV ad has been aired by either candidate. On the whole, both candidates have abstained from using any conventional campaign activities. No commercials. No debates. No public appearances. Instead, the candidates have opted for old-school politicking. Both candidates have relied on word of mouth and small gatherings to spread their policies. The Des Moines Register reports Braley hosted “Bruce, Blues, and BBQ” in Waterloo, and he has relied on Facebook to stay connected to his supporters. Hartsuch, according the Quad City Times, travels the district in his car, seeking out anyone who is willing to listen to his message. He hasn’t let a lack of funding or the fact that his party believes Braley’s re-election is a foregone conclusion stop him from running for office. Hartsuch continues to try to spread his message by sitting down with interested citizens over a cup of coffee. Deciding to use the old-school style of meeting with one’s supporters face-to-face in small gatherings or over a cup of coffee is refreshing and commendable. A low-key campaign allows the candidates to concentrate on the foundation of democracy again — the people. Finally, the candidate’s time and energy can remain focused on connecting with his constituents and listening to the concerns of the people he will represent. It’s not about who can fill the biggest arenas or who has the best multimedia wizards that can churn out eye-catching pseudo-issue or negative ads in the shortest amount of time. Hartsuch could have easily conceded the race. In today’s political milieu, no money means clear defeat. Yet, he refused to give up just because his party told him he didn’t have a chance to defeat Braley. Hartsuch may lose, but at least he can say that he spent the $16,000 his campaign has received on getting to know the people in his district better. We think that is money well spent. Concomitantly, Braley could have chosen to take advantage of his opponent’s lack of funds. Deciding to run a single ad promoting his accomplishments or laying out his view on the economic crisis would have been more than enough to dwarf the means of his opponent. Instead, Braley invited his supporters to eat barbecue with him. Kudos to both men for taking the road less-traveled, a road that promotes talking with concerned citizens about the issues over assailing the public with constant negative and smear campaigns. |