"simple broadcast political advertising ought to be banned outright"

Agreed! All the candidates should get to present their own ideas...with equal time each...in a series of televized public debates and televized statements of policy. And that's it, period. Equal coverage to every candidate. If the public is too lazy to even listen to them, then they would have no one to blame for themselves for the result, would they? And most people would listen in a setup like that. And think of the money it would save!

To allow paid political advertising in the media is simply to ensure that the richest players control the agenda and determine who gets elected.