You Can’t Trust TV Commercials

Don’t Expect Truth in Advertising from Zach Lahn

by Doug Smith

October 7, 2026

With the onslaught of political ads flooding into our homes via TV right now, I thought this would be a good time to remind everyone that YOU CANNOT TRUST THEM!  They are legally allowed to spew lies without apology or accountability. 

As a retired radio station manager, I know broadcast law.  Radio and TV stations are NOT ALLOWED to edit or refuse to run political commercials because of content.  The FCC mandates that commercial broadcast stations cannot censor or reject advertisements from legally qualified federal candidates, regardless of whether the claims are factually accurate.  In other words, they can tell lies about any candidate and you’ll never know what’s true and what’s not. 

Zach Lahn’s TV commercials are a classic example of brazen lies.  “He wants to raise your taxes big time”… “He supported regulations that would triple the cost of gas”… “He’s pushed taxes that would cost the average Iowa household more than $7500 a year”… That’s pretty impressive, telling three big whoppers in just 30 seconds! 

The problem is… advertising works!  That’s why BILLIONS of dollars are spent on these ads, to try to persuade votes.  Watching the polls for various races going back and forth?  That’s a measure of the influence of the ads running right now.  Doesn’t matter if the ads are true or not, people tend to accept what they’re told without fact-checking them. 

How lazy is that?  Anyone can easily go to any candidate’s website and find out what they’re saying and claiming.  And that goes for the propaganda you see on social media too.  I shudder to think how many people just accept as truth the most outrageous lies that get passed around on the internet. 

If you want to learn more about any candidate, watch the debates, talk to them if you have the opportunity, go to a town hall, look up their website, and follow them on social media.  Read and watch legitimate, professional journalists (think Associated Press or NPR.)  Do NOT rely on paid media advertising to tell you the truth! 

Learn more about Democratic candidates for all local elections here:  https://sites.google.com/blackhawkdemocrats.com/black-hawk-county-democrats-ca/home

Find your sample ballot here:  https://blackhawkcountyelections.iowa.gov/search/

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