The Washington Post brings us The Attack Ads Will Come to Order by Ruth Marcus (you will need free registration), chronicling democracy at work in judicial elections in foreign places, like Alabama.  Judicial Reports, much to my chagrin, has been presenting the Chicken Little scenario for judicial elections in New York for quite some time now.  Up to now, I’ve held the view that they are nuts.

Who is going to contribute millions of dollars to the campaign of some Supreme?  Let’s face it, there’s just not enough chance of a payback to make it worthwhile.  The very notion of million dollar judicial races sounds ludicrous.  Doesn’t it?

But apparently, there are some who think otherwise.  In fact, there has to be a bunch of people who think otherwise, and are ready to dig, and dig deep, into those acetate-lined pockets to fund these campaigns.  And if they can generate enough contributions in Alabama to fuel negative campaign ads, imagine what they will be able to come up with in New York. 

Up to now, judicial campaigning has been largely limited to the sublime.  Meaningless posters without party affiliation or any potential reason to vote, but effectively creating name (and occasionally face) recognition so that the candidates will enjoy ascribed credibility, whether or not they deserve it.  It may not be much, but it’s a proven winner.

But these attack ads make me shudder.  One announced that he sings in the church choir!  I wonder why that’s in the add?

 
The other candidate let a rapist out, one who raped within 12 hours of release.  What could that possibly mean?  Are we doomed to suffer this in New York?  Are the “powers” that administer the Code of Judicial Conduct addressing this coming nightmare?  Have they even thought about it?



It hasn’t yet happened here, and I am indeed thankful.  But my days of telling Center for Judicial Studies Czar Dirk Olin that he’s out of his mind, that this can never happen here, are over.  Methinks Dirk may be on to something.  And if it does, want to bet that a battle in New York is going to make the attack in Alabama look like a lovefest?  And the biggest irony is that Clarence Norman thought he knew what a judgeship was worth.  Man, he’s beginning to look like Piker.