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We have reached the point in the election cycle where I am either reciting campaign ads verbatim with the actors or perfecting my curveball with a TV remote windup that rivals that of Jacob Misiorowski.

As one astute letter writer observes (which you can read below), we are getting lost in the election noise. Campaign ad claims grow seemingly more outrageous each day, pitting Alaskan against Alaskan … but only, you know, the real Alaskans. Fake Alaskans, you got nothing to worry about.

Meanwhile, those of us whose Alaska credentials apparently await inspection still have a few questions. Can we afford to heat the house come winter? Will our kids get a decent education? Does anybody have a plan that can be explained without ominous music and a grainy photo of their opponent?

That’s where I hope this little corner of your inbox helps. Read a letter. Consider a different perspective. Get past the campaign script and hear what your neighbors have to say. We’ve still got to live alongside one another when the commercials stop.

And do me a solid: If you hear a totally outrageous claim in a political ad, fact check it. Nuance and context go a long way, and curiously enough, those two items are missing from a lot of ads hitting the airwaves.

Until then, the remote and I are working on our control.

Have a political ad you’re questioning or just tired of seeing? Feel free to explain it to me at letters@adn.com or via our web form.

— Gary Black, opinion editor

Anchorage Daily News
gblack@adn.com

From the ADN Editorial Board

One ballot, three consequential choices

On Nov. 3, Alaskans will decide whether to repeal the whole package of election reforms that voters approved in 2020: the open primary, ranked choice general elections and the campaign finance disclosure rules that show who is paying to sway the vote. A yes vote throws out all three. There’s no voting à la carte here; it’s all or nothing.

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Letters to the editor

Election issues are getting lost in the noise

We all have only so much time to listen to the news and campaign ads, so that the minutes we spend on silly topics wear us out before we get to the important ones.

The importance of ideological consistency

You can recognize both candidates are imperfect and still have a relative preference.

'I'm from Florida, please vote for Nick Begich'

Is the Begich campaign so worried about Bill Hill that it’s bringing folks who know nothing about our state to campaign for him?

Tackling Alaska’s growing threats requires a change in elected leadership

Will someone please tell Sen. Dan Sullivan, of Ohio, and Rep. Nicholas Begich III, of profit, that the AI threat is not a hoax, that AI leaders and safety experts are calling on Congress to do something about it, and that their billionaire bosses won’t effectively self-regulate?

Vote as if your children’s future depends on it

You would think that a U.S. senator who represents Alaska would do anything to help Alaskans to heat their homes and be able to afford gas and groceries.

A different vote for a different direction

If you expect your U.S. senator to support and defend the U.S. Constitution, vote for Mary.

A smoother welcome to downtown Anchorage

No more apologizing to German and French tourists about downtown sidewalks that could break an ankle!

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