I wish I was able to write more about the fascinating new media rhetoric playing out in the final throes of this year's political campaigns. For now, I'll have to settle for a link to a TPM posting on the controversial radio spot accused of layering tom-tom drums over the mention of Harold Ford's name. When I hear the ad what strikes me is the level of sophistication in the ways the sonic elements work to convey the message. From the intonations of the narrator to the swelling orchestral sounds to the final homey tone of Bob Corker approving the message, the aural composition is meant to move as more so than the verbal content of the narration. Given this level of sophistication, it's no wonder that accusations of race baiting based on the drum sounds associated with Ford have arisen. Everything else about the sounds is so deliberate, reminding us again that even especially when it comes to public media the rhetorical is also political.