And the award goes to...

by Marcella Ortega

and Damian Garde

Daily Lobo

Well, it's all over.

The freshly slung mud is beginning to cake, and the resigned losers have only their private wealth to retreat to - maybe next time, Allen McCulloch.

But that's all beside the point. We here at the Daily Lobo have decided to honor the most important aspect of national elections - the campaign ads.

So, without further ado, here it is, the Daily Lobo's Semi-Annual Academy Awards of Campaign Ads.

Best Picture - Bill Richardson

There's a new lawman in town, and he's apparently a portly sheriff with an affinity for milk. In this ad, Richardson does his best John Wayne in the face of those pesky meth labbers holed up in a saloon. While Best Picture was a hotly contested race, Richardson stole the show with superior acting and special effects - check out how that digital horse doesn't even break a sweat beneath his notable girth. Where most campaign ads focus on, say, reality, Richardson didn't hesitate to entirely fabricate a Wild West dreamland. Four more years.

Best Acting - Patricia Madrid

In a Heather Wilson ad containing a clip of a recent debate, Madrid demonstrates an acting prowess rivaling Meryl Streep. As Wilson asks her to provide reassurance that she will not raise taxes for New Mexicans, Madrid draws a breathy blank that is as embarrassing as it is impressive. Eat your heart out, Sally Field. Madrid is so convincing in her stuttering absence of cohesive dialogue that we actually believed she had no real economic plan to speak of. Bravo.

Best On-Screen Chemistry - George W. Bush and Heather Wilson

Oh, look at those two. In a Madrid ad trying to rebound from Stuttergate, images of these two starry-eyed lovebirds flash behind an accusation of Wilson going soft on war policy. But all that political muckraking is moot in the face of the charming smiles of one woman and her president. Just look at the twinkles in their respective eyes. This, we think, is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

Best Costume Design - Heather Wilson

Not only is she independent politically, Wilson doesn't affiliate with men's or women's clothing, either. Whether she's dressed as Mr. Rogers or Pat from "Saturday Night Live," the First Lady of Androgyny is dapper as ever. When it comes to wardrobe, Wilson doesn't mess around. She understands the importance of appearance as she extends a helping hand to the elderly, minorities and construction workers. Nothing says independent, honest and effective like a crisp collared shirt and waist-high pleated khakis. Hands down, Wilson has taken this category with the most sexually ambiguous costumes of the 2006 election.

Best Special Effects - The Democratic Campaign Committee

Who needs explosive semis and helicopters when you can have a medicine cabinet? The Democratic Campaign Committee sure doesn't. In less than 30 seconds, this commercial takes the viewer on an epic adventure through three shelves in a medicine cabinet, informing him or her of a disease that ails Washington. Wilson was cast as the villain who voted for a policy that prevents the government from negotiating lower drug prices. Wilson, Bush and the Capitol were all digitally placed on drug labels. Without modern technology, this caliber of symbolism would be inexplicable.

Best Animation - The Republican Governors Association

The Republican Governors Association destroys the thin line that separates fiction and reality with its ad featuring a bobbleheaded Bill Richardson. The commercial takes the viewer on a search for the governor as he lightheartedly jumps from state to state. For a man of at least 300 pounds, he's extremely agile as he cartwheels across the country. It even follows the bobblehead to the White House, where he's kickin' it next to a fence. The bobblehead Richardson, who only speaks in squeaky gibberish, teleports to a blue background where he hoards a vase of money. Move over, "South Park" animators. You just got served by the Republican Governors Association.

Best Ugly Face Freeze-Frame - Patricia Madrid

After corruption charges were filed against members of the State Treasurer's Office, Wilson accused Madrid of going soft on prosecution. And thus, we are given this beautiful piece of freeze-frame ugliness. Madrid looks like a Disney villain about to cackle in evil jubilance before devouring an infant. While the insertion of devil horns or fiery eyes would've added even more menace to this snapshot of unadulterated ugly, this entry still managed to best every other contender.

Best Music - Heather Wilson

Politicians need to fight dirty. If that means using a sexual predator and a chilling piano solo in a political commercial, then so be it. In this thriller, Wilson's committee shows the public what could happen if Madrid took office. The ad accuses Madrid of letting a pedophile free from prison. The tender sound of lightly tickled ivories gains the viewer's trust, then lets him or her down hard, as the ad, backed by a chilling minor-key climax, shows the predator now at large. This commercial breaks boundaries and connects to the public though the universal language of music.

Consolation Prize - John Dendahl

Who needs name recognition? This Republican sweetheart gave it that old college try, and we can't help but respect his sinking-ship bravery. In this ad, we see a warm, fuzzy Dendahl, ready to lose in the cutest way possible. He's like your senile grandfather, inexplicably smiling in the face of impending doom. Despite his aw-shucks charm, Dendahl only managed to pull one-third of the state's voters. Say it ain't so, John, say it ain't so.