[spunkets]

"You realize, I hope, that the founders DID NOT campaign nor run ads attacking their opponents."

Nonsense. US politics is full of personal characterizations and has been so from the beginning. Notwithstanding this fact is that the political ads banned have no relationship to smear campaigns. The law is intended to keep the sheep ignorant.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Candidates of the time of the founding NEVER campaigned nor publicly sought offices. They worked behind the scenes. It is true that there was plenty of personal attacks and lies that were printed BUT NOT THROUGH ADS. Newspapers of those days were openly partisian and everyone knew it no pretension of neutrality.

No one was ever removed from ignorance by a campaign ad, ignorance was generally increased by them. This is an Ignorance Reduction Act in fact.