Campaign 100,000 BC

Last night we watched the first-ever Doctor Who episodes, from 1963: the story-arc composed of "An Unearthly Child," "The Cave of Skulls," "The Forest of Fear," and "The Firemaker" (Actually, we watched "An Unearthly Child" twice, not realizing that the first "episode" on the disc was the unscreened pilot, before they re-filmed it at the creator's insistence.)

Unfortunately, the rhetorical tactics Za and Kal use as they struggle for the position of chief in their prehistoric tribe sound all too familiar. Negative campaigning is nothing new:

KAL: It is cold.....the tiger comes to our caves again at night.....Za will give you to the tiger!!! Za will give you to the cold!

Za: Wrong on fire. Wrong for the tribe.

ZA: You all heard him say that there would be fire. There is no fire! Za does not lie! He does not say, "I will do this thing," and then not do it! He does not say, "I will make you warm," and then leave you to the dark! He does not say, "I will frighten away the tiger with fire," and then let him come to you in the dark! Do you want a liar for your chief?

Kal: No fire. No leadership.
Vote Za!


(Script excerpts from "The Cave of Skulls" found here.)