In the real world, the most important issue in Arizona’s upcoming election is the ongoing assault on public education and how to stop it.

But politics doesn’t care about the real world.

Not where we live.

In the imaginary world of political advertising – which often convinces individuals in the real world how to vote – the most important issue in Arizona’s upcoming election appears to be stopping that scary Mexican dude who wants to be governor.

Be afraid, be very, very ...

The ongoing advertising assault against Democratic candidate David Garcia is as ugly as it may be effective.

Most recently, the Republican Governors Association has an ad running that begins by showing the photographs of a father, mother and two young daughters – white, of course. Then the woman in the ad comes in with a narration that begins, “As a mom with two daughters nothing is more important than keeping them safe. That’s why I’m worried about David Garcia …”

Yikes … our children are at risk around Garcia?

From there the lady in the ad makes fearful claims about Garcia that involve abolishing ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) – a federal agency over which a governor has zero control – and fears about human trafficking and drug smuggling, which the ad seems to imply Garcia is OK with.

Garcia has given Gov. Doug Ducey and those who support him plenty of fodder to play the ethnic fear card.

A governor cannot melt ICE

He has railed against the abuses of ICE, calling for a complete overhaul of the agency. Although, again, there is NOTHING Garcia could do one way or the other about that as governor.

Although, consider the genuinely horrifying fact that there are still more than 400 immigrant children who were taken into custody by ICE, separated by from their parents, and who still have not be reunited.

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The governor of Arizona has no control over that, either.

All of the TV ads I’ve seen attacking Garcia play to fear and prejudice.

It’s cynical and sickening.

The success of fear and prejudice

But … it often works.

Garcia is a fourth-generation Mexican-American. His father served in the military during the Vietnam era. Garcia went to Mesa High School, after which he, too, enlisted in the Army. He later graduated from Arizona State University then went on to earn a master’s degree and a doctorate.

He is married. He and his wife have two young daughters, just like the woman in the attack ad.

The world in which we DON'T live

I’d guess that keeping his children safe is as important to him as it is to the woman in the ad.

Plus, Garcia, by way of his extensive academic background, knows an awful lot about education. Which is the most important issue in Arizona’s upcoming election.

In the real world, anyway.

Which isn’t where we live.

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.

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