In the old days we would call this an essay contest. Essays, however, are long and take a lot of time to write, whereas blog posts are short and don’t require that much time. So here’s a blog post contest. Write a post in response to this question:

What is the worst political ad of all time?

Consider it a nomination. You have to persuade the judge, me, that your candidate is the best, or I should say the worst one. I should not have any doubts about why you picked it.

Here are some guidelines:

• Make the post self-contained. It can include a link to the ad, but I won’t go to look for the ad on my own. Judgments for quality are based entirely on the content of your post, not on the ad or anything else outside the piece.
• Blog posts vary a lot in length, from rather short to rather long. Use your judgment. Write as much as you need to. A 3,000 word essay is probably too long.
• Don’t assume your audience has seen the ad. Give the ad some context, and give your judgment of it some context.

Submission:

• Send the link for your post to steveng @ techwritepublishing.com. Make Blog Post Contest the first three words in your subject line. If you do not have a blog or any place to post your entry, write to me to work something out.
• Submit your entry by November 6, 2012. That’s election day, but of course your ad can come from any election, any year.
• You can correct and revise your entry right up until November 6. No revisions after that!

Winners:

• $50 for gold, $25 for silver, $12.50 for bronze.
• Links publicized in The Jeffersonian, of course.
• Boasting rights for an award-winning post.

Thanks for your interest, everyone. Please send the link for this post to your friends. In fact, if you want to collaborate with a friend to write your post, that’s fine, too! No fighting over the prize money.