GREEN AND MEAN

Jonathan Carter’s latest campaign ad takes one of the most banal ethnic stereotypes going, mixes it with irrelevance into an issue of importance to voters and flings the resulting mud at an opponent who just happens to be of that ethnic group. Who says campaign ads don’t tell voters much about the candidate?

The Green Independent candidate for governor responds to the furor caused by this ad by saying he thinks the ad is funny. That’s telling voters more about the candidate than they probably want to know.

The stereotype is that of Italian-Americans being culturally attuned to organized crime – racketeering, prostitution, drug trafficking, murder for hire, that sort of colorful heritage thing. The important issue irrelevant to that slur is casino gambling, a legal enterprise enjoyed by millions of law-abiding citizens in 26 states. The opponent targeted by this ugly and stupid ad is Rep. John Baldacci, member of Congress, Democratic candidate for governor and, yes, an American of Italian descent.

Rep. Baldacci also is, as are the other three candidates for this office, opposed to the legalization of casino gambling in Maine. He is on the record as stating that as governor he would veto any legislation that would legalize casino gambling in Maine.

As a state senator nearly a decade ago, Rep. Baldacci did support legislation that would have established a tribal casino in Calais. He has explained the subsequent change in his views as a matter of becoming more informed on the subject and of having higher expectations for economic development in Maine. Some voters opposed to casino gambling may find this explanation satisfactory; some may require further assurances that Rep. Baldacci’s promise to veto a casino bill is what he says it is – a promise.

No one, however, should find the Carter ad acceptable. The wise-guy narrator, the mobster slang, the clear inference that one of the two gubernatorial candidates with an Italian surname (Republican Peter Cianchette being the other) would betray the people of Maine as a favor for some Mafia Don in Jersey is despicable. That this ad is paid for with taxpayer dollars – Mr. Carter misses no opportunity to remind voters that his is the only publicly funded gubernatorial campaign – makes this episode worse. Mr. Carter signed the Maine Code of Election Ethics, in which he promises to “respect my opponent.

I shall not use or allow to be used personal attacks, innuendo, or stereotyping.” A promise broken.

Mr. Carter should withdraw this ad immediately. He should apologize to Rep. Baldacci and to all Italian-Americans for the insult and then to all Mainers for making this state look so unsophisticated. Then he should get a new sense of humor.