Skip Navigation
Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates - Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues for TheAtlantic.com and the magazine. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle. More

Born in 1975, the product of two beautiful parents. Raised in West Baltimore—not quite The Wire, but sometimes ill all the same. Studied at the Mecca for some years in the mid-’90s. Emerged with a purpose, if not a degree. Slowly migrated up the East Coast with a baby and my beloved, until I reached the shores of Harlem. Wrote some stuff along the way.
« Previous Coates | Next Coates » Email Email Print Print

Call me totally naive....

By Ta-Nehisi Coates

Aug 25 2008, 12:00 PM ET Comment

...but I'm really still trying to wrap my head around this idea that people actually decide who they're going to vote for based on ads. I don't think I've ever seen an ad and went out and bought something because of it. An ad has made me decide to go investigate an item, but never to just purchase it sight unseen. Polls show I am wrong, but man are we in a civics hole when a significant number of people allow their votes to be decided by a television commercial.




Presented by

More at The Atlantic

'Key & Peele': Finally, a Worthy Successor to 'Chappelle's Show' Finally, a Worthy Successsor to 'Chappelle's Show'
The 10 Best and 10 Worst States for High-Tech Business The Top High-Tech Business States
The Jeremy Lin Backlash The Inevitable and Disturbing Backlash Against Jeremy Lin
We Don't Need a Digital sabbath, We Need More Time You Don't Need a Break From Technology
A Hauntingly Beautiful Zombie Love Story A Beautiful Zombie Love Story

Join the Discussion

After you comment, click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be asked to log in or register.
blog comments powered by Disqus
Special Report
The Civil War National Portrait Gallery The Civil War
President Obama reflects on what Lincoln means to him and to America, in an introduction to our special issue. Read more ›

Correspondents

View All Correspondents

The Biggest Story in Photos

Valentine's Day 2012

Feb 14, 2012

Subscribe Now

SAVE 59%! 10 issues JUST $2.45 PER COPY

Facebook

Newsletters

Sign up to receive our free newsletters

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)

Ta-Nehisi Coates
from the Magazine

Why Do So Few Blacks Study the Civil War?

Ta-Nehisi Coates is an Atlantic senior editor.

Fade to White

A filmmaker maps Austin’s shifting ethnic landscape.

The Legacy of Malcolm X

Why his vision lives on in Barack Obama