With elections just around the corner in the United States, some commentators are once again lamenting the increasing politicization of selecting judges in some states. While electing judges is nothing new in America (many states have been selecting their judges in this manner for decades), the money that has been poured into these judicial campaigns as well as the harshness of the negatives ads put out by candidates has increased substantially in the past decade.
Richard Hansen and Dalia Lithwick
over at Slate write:
If you're a fan of The Exorcist and Carrie, if you like sex and violence and ominous music, you've come to the right place. Because we have gathered some of the most spine-chilling Halloween footage you will ever see—all produced in an effort to influence state judicial elections.
Be sure to take quick look at
some of these campaign ads for judges.
