Watching TV in California these days is enough to make you physically ill. The problem? The ads for and against Prop 2, the initiative to regulate farm animal confinement. The Yes ads, produced by the Humane Society of the United States (perhaps the leading practitioner and defender of ballot initiative campaigns in the country), have — in a small box on the screen (the full screen was deemed too disturbing for viewers) — video of farm animals in distress.

The no campaign warns about salmonella and other diseases if Prop 2 passes and animals are free to walk around. The yes campaign has responded to this by saying that the current use of caged animals actually contributes to salmonella. So, both sides are talking about salmonella.

It’s enough to make me wonder whether every campaign really should be fought on the issues. In any event, if there’s anyone out there in the scientific community who might be able to evaluate these competing claims about salmonella, please post here. In the meantime, I can’t wait until the election is over, and the most stomach-turning thing on California television is the Lakers’ defensive rebounding.