September 2, 2014 3:57 PM

Bearse: Silly Season

From the Right: Our conservative columnist argues Sen. Davis has made the classic Tony Sanchez mistake of going negative way too early instead of attacking in the fall from a position of greater strength.

Lock up the women and children, election season is upon us. With Labor Day behind us, we begin the nine-week sprint to Election Day. Or as most Texans consider it, a marathon of horror flicks disguised as political ads. Only Wendy Davis started it early, successfully raising her own negatives with an ad that should have received an NC-17 rating.

Coming soon to a mailbox near you are smarmy looking felons on a playground (if Republicans produce it, they will be white guys so Democrats can’t play the race card.) You will see babies crying. Seasoned citizens with an angry scowl. Political opponents with crazed eyes like the Uzo Aduba character in “Orange is the New Black.” By November 4 you will think you are choosing between crooks and communists. Or both.

Advertising has become so targeted that campaigns can buy satellite time that targets the individual home regardless of what channel you are watching. If you want to be stalked on the Internet wherever you go, keep your cookies on, enable Location Services on your iPhone and back up your private photos to iCloud. If you’re confused, ask your grandchildren.

But if you needed a reminder that the silly season is upon us, look at the coverage of Guard personnel supposedly starving on duty. Wendy Davis actually found a reason to campaign in the Rio Grande Valley, filling goodie bags for soldiers.

The complete column from Eric Bearse can be found in today’s R&D Department.

By Eric Bearse