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Thursday, Oct 19, 2006 8:55 PM UTC

2006 political ads: I’m a cheater — not a choker!

A sordid family dispute plays out in campaign ads.

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In our ongoing survey of political season’s weird and wonderful campaign ads (keep sending them in to: videodog@salon.com!), there’s really been nothing as weirdly absorbing as the efforts of Rep. Don Sherwood, R-Pa., who President Bush appeared with today on the campaign trail, to get re-elected. How does a 65-year-old, who looks for all the world like an embattled high school principal hell-bent on retirement, explain to his constituents about his 30-year-old mistress in D.C., much less her accusation that he tried to choke her? With one of the most excruciating campaign ads we have ever witnessed:

This, naturally, inspired at least a few parodies:

All of which followed this fabulously pandering attack ad by Sherwood’s opponent, Democrat Chris Carney:

Oh, how we look forward to upcoming ads from this campaign — maybe (hopefully!) starring Carol Sherwood, Don’s wife, who has released a letter saying, in part, “It is a fact that good people can and do make mistakes. Don is a good person.”

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