TIPA - Truth In Political Advertising

ACCURACY = 4.8 out of 10.0. This advertisement is superficially accurate (approximately 70% of the time) with one or more significant facts intentionally misstated or erroneous; clearly not meeting any kind of minimal standards for overall accuracy but appearing to do so as part of an effort to mislead the observer.

FAIRNESS = 4.2 out of 10.0. This ad represents a scurrilous personal attack, intentionally distorting the truth to give a false impression of an opponent, yet mixed with enough relevant or reasonable claims to soften what otherwise would be a brutal attack.

RELEVANCE = 7.4 out of 10.0. This ad is almost all (80-90%) understandably applicable and important subject matter which is related to one or more key issues of the day for a plurality of voters and which is articulated clearly.

OVERALL = 5.1 out of 10.0. This ad received a poor overall rating. While relevant to the critical issues of this campaign, it uses dirty tactics to warp the facts and attack Ken Salazar unfairly and inaccurately.

One of the first ads released this campaign season, "Contrast" begins by running through a series of statements about Ken Salazar's intent to "help Democrats roll back tax cuts" and "support John Kerry's $142 billion tax increase."

It then cuts to a narrative by Pete Coors describing how he will help create "a fairer tax system that doesn’t penalize small businesses trying to grow or families working to improve their quality of life."

The basic message of this ad is that Ken Salazar will raise taxes and hurt Colorado businesses and families, while Pete Coors will lower taxes and keep more money in voters' pockets. It's a typical Republican (lower taxes) vs. Democrat (raise taxes) commercial. The problem is that the ad intentionally distorts Salazar's position on the Bush administration's tax cuts.

Based on the ratings provided by Advisory Panel members and weighted so Democrats and Republicans were equal in number from a statistical averaging perspective, the TIPA has compiled a set of ratings for the advertisement "Contrast”.

The TIPA uses a "1" to "10" rating scale for Accuracy (with greater accuracy reflected by a higher rating), Fairness (with a higher rating indicating a greater degree of fairness), and Relevancy (with a higher rating meaning the advertisement was most relevant to the U.S. Senate campaign). The Rating System is presented in detail on the TIPA Web site.

ACCURACY RATING. “Contrast” received a poor Accuracy rating of 4.8. The ad was superficially accurate regarding Coors' stance on taxes, but it intentionally warped his opponent's position on the issue.

One Advisory Panel member observed, “True, Salazar does endorse Kerry's tax proposals, but two inaccuracies: 1) $142 billion is a Bush campaign figure that Kerry says he'd pay for by rolling back upper-income tax cuts, and 2) it is grossly unfair to say Salazar would vote to raise taxes without specifying the specific class of taxpayers whose tax cuts would be erased.”

Reflecting a heavy partisan bias, Republicans rated the advertisement’s accuracy much higher (8.0) than Democrats (2.0) or Independents (4.0).

FAIRNESS RATING. This ad received a low Fairness rating – 4.2 out of 10. While giving a fair and accurate depiction of Coors' position, it oversimplifyies and intentionally distorts Salazar's stance on tax cuts.

In agreement with this assertion, an Advisory Panel member described the ad, “Misleading on facts, support of Kerry, rollback of higher income earners, etc.”

Another panelist countered by stating the advertisement is, "A clear delineation of positions."

Mirroring the partisan gap in the Accuracy rating, Republicans scored the fairness of the ad a 7.0, while Democrats and Independents rated it 2.0 and 3.0, respectively.

RELEVANCE RATING. Based on the election’s key issues, this advertisement received a decent Relevance rating of 7.4. Taxes are perennially one of the most critical issues to voters across the board.

One Panel member opined, “Issue is VERY relevant.” Another panelist echoed, "Taxes are always an important issue for voters."

The Relevance of the advertisement was scored highest by Republicans (9.0), followed by Democrats (7.0) and Independents (5.0).

OVERALL RATING. This advertisement's Overall rating of 5.1 reflects a mix of truth and lies. It states Coors' positions with accuracy and fairness, but attacks Salazar unfairly by using warped dollar figures and statements.

(C) Copyright 2004 by the Democracy & Media Education Foundation. All rights reserved. Reproduction, duplication, transmission, or conveyance of this document – in whole or in part – without the express written consent of the DMEF is strictly prohibited. Bona fide print and electronic Press organizations, however, may quote this Report as long as proper attribution is given (i.e., “The Truth In Political Advertising Project”) and the quotation or reference accurately reflects the contents and conclusions of this Report. For questions, please call Zachary Adler at (303) 449-5043 or send an e-mail to Zachary@TIPAP.org. Thank you.