Hillary's "Role Models" ad — great for 50 seconds and then the last 10 seconds took my mind to the wrong place.

The piano chords clunk slowly, meaningfully — as if the musician was told to play "Imagine" without playing it. We see sweet, impressionable children watching Donald Trump on TV as he delivers some of his famous quotes (e.g., "I could shoot somebody..."). Very effective argument by showing not telling.

But how do you make the transition from attacking Trump to promoting Hillary? He's a bad role model. Point made. The words appear on screen: "Our children are watching. What example will we set for them?" We hear Hillary's voice and are supposed to think: Hillary is a good role model for children. But is she? We see her — dressed in white — lecturing slowly about what those who are children now will think about the choice we are about to make about "the principles we will live by." And then there is a cut, at 0:50 to a cute little girl sitting on the edge of a bed. Then back to Hillary: "We need to make sure that they can be proud of us."

Why was the child actress posed sitting on a bed? I loathe the political exploitation of children. They have no real political opinions, but are used to symbolize innocence and to stimulate nurturing instincts. But this particular use of a child did not manipulate me in the direction intended.

When I saw that young girl sitting on a bed and heard Hillary Clinton talking about the choices we make and the principles we live by, I thought about her relationship with Bill Clinton. What principles has she been living by and how is she a role model for young people? That's where my mind ended up.