Link Banana

At Slate, Jeff Greenfield takes an interesting look at why politician don’t speak frankly about politics in advertising, and what it would be like if they did. His ad for John Edwards would have been interesting:

I’m John Edwards. Maybe you’ve noticed there’s something different about me. Of course, I’m talking about geography.

Here’s an unavoidable political fact: Since the death of Franklin Roosevelt, the only Democratic presidential candidates who have won a clear plurality of popular votes have come from the South or the border states—the Red States. Our only victors have come from Georgia and Arkansas (and Tennessee, if you count the victory they stole).

All of us—Sen. Obama, Sen. Clinton, and myself—will fight for health care, a fairer tax system, a chance for those who haven’t gotten a chance to live out the American promise. But if we don’t choose a candidate who can compete everywhere, we will never get the chance to do any of these things. Choose me … or lose.