Let's be honest for a moment -- most political ads are terrible. The positive ones are brain-numbingly boring, and the negative ones leave you with a sick feeling of pity and disgust.

Our attachment to television leaves politicians free to promote themselves with no risk of backlash. But what if candidates had to make commercials you actually wanted to watch?

Of course, that's exactly what's happening during these midterm elections,with YouTube.com attracting millions of viewers a day.

While Internet ads still don't carry nearly the weight of their TV counterparts, candidates in tight races need to exploit every avenue they can to promote themselves, and several have taken to YouTube.com to court the younger, Web-savvy vote -- at a fraction of the cost of TV advertising.

Here is a look at a few of the made-for-Internet ads with analysis from the expert bloggers at AdFreak (blogs.adweek.com).

"HAD ENOUGH OF HASTERT? VOTE LAESCH!" by Blue America, a federal PAC that made the ad available for Democrats running against Republican incumbents across the country. The ad was written by members of Chapel Hill's Squirrel Nut Zippers and singer Ricki Lee Jones.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAkEdWXwRaE

ADFREAK'S TAKE: "Attack ads never felt so good. This spot delivers a negative message but with enough energy and humor that people will not only tolerate it, they might even e-mail it to their friends. The visuals are too busy (the lyrics at the bottom clash with the on-screen copy), but the music more than makes up for it. A bit too flippant for TV, this ad is tailor-made for the Web."

"NO DECENCY" by Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democratic challenger in New York's 20th Congressional District. She's running against Republican incumbent John Sweeney.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaQiaxuon3w

ADFREAK'S TAKE: "This two-minute-plus 'Good Night and Good Luck' spot, for Kirsten Gillibrand, is one of the best political ads of the season, or any season. Getting David Strathairn to reprise his Oscar-nominated role as Edward R. Murrow to chastise your opponent about decency -- it doesn't get much better than that."

"RAJ BHAKTA'S JOE BIDEN 7/11 CHALLENGE" by Raj Bhakta, a Republican challenger in Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District. Bhakta, a former contestant on "The Apprentice," is running against Democratic incumbent Allyson Schwartz.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XUEMUnvWY4

ADFREAK'S TAKE: "Raj Bhakta tries to have some fun with Joe Biden's controversial comments about Indians, but his ad falls flat. The "7-11 Challenge" (a convoluted donation scheme) is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but potential supporters may simply laugh it off without opening their wallets."

"CHANGE WASHINGTON: DAVID ROTH FOR CONGRESS" by David Roth, a Democratic challenger in California's 45th Congressional District. He's running against Republican incumbent Mary Bono.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqhJZV5Y0U4

ADFREAK'S TAKE: "On the Web, unlike TV, your commercials can be long. That doesn't mean they should be. [The] media team seems more focused on learning the ins and outs of iMovie than delivering a clear message."

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