Negative advertising

[Achilleez]

Negative advertising works because it reaches and affects a larger group of voters than self-promotional ads. Self-promotional adversiting is only effective at re-affirming people who are already behind the candidate and hopefully persuading fence-sitters. The problem is, there are many less fence-sitters than there are people who are committed to a specific party, or at least to a political platform. So, when negative advertisements are broadcast, their target is not people who are already supporting the mud-slinger, nor the fence-sitters, but rather the supporters of the opposition. So when Kerry puts down Bush in his ads, he is reaching about 50% of the voting population of America who are currently pro-Bush, while self-promotional ads would only persuade fence-sitters, many of whom don't vote anyway.

[evmori]

Good one, Bob!

[packsaddle]

I think it was Lincoln who observed that, "you can't dip clear water from a muddy stream", or something to that effect - on nearly this very topic. The candidates just may be representative of....us.