Do Negative Ads Work?
By anniepa
@anniepa (27955)
United States
August 11, 2008 6:41pm CST
I'd really like to hear from anyone who'd like to weigh in regardless of who you support for President but I'm really not asking who you support or why; what I AM asking is if you've been swayed in this election or in the past by negative ads or other forms of "mudslinging" and dirty politics. From what I've heard and read most people surveyed will claim they don't LIKE negative campaigning yet this is still said to be effective. Apparently people are paying attention even if they claim they dislike it.
What about you? Is your choice of for whom to vote influenced by negative ads and other forms of negative campaigning or do you base you choice on things like the candidates' records and their views on the issues that matter to you most? Remember, I'm not asking for you to repeat any of the "dirt" on either candidate here, we've probably all seen and heard enough of them by now, but I'm interested in whether you listen to the mudslinging and if you think it has a big effect on others' choices.
Annie
7 people like this
3 responses
@savypat (20216)
• United States
12 Aug 08
As far as I am concerned they are a complete turn off, I don't want to know the the dirt about the other people I want to know what you will do for me and the country, In our local elections this year we have one person who started makeing
negative remarks about the people in the other party before he even knew who he'd be running against. I I know the the things he said were workeded over by the spin doctor before he said them, in other words only half truths. I'd find someone to write in before I'd vote for him. That's how I feel
2 people like this
@Bluepatch (2476)
• Trinidad And Tobago
12 Aug 08
Mudslinging is the most misleading form of publicity there is.
Its too likely to be untrue or based on rumour or pure lies.
People who are swayed by this are those likely to be led by lies in the first place.
Its best to ignore this type of publicity.
2 people like this
@taface412 (3175)
• United States
12 Aug 08
Honestly I try not to pay attention to the commercials, but sometimes when I see them I laugh to myself...even some of the speeches where they criticize the other opponent...Like as short example one candidate who only has four years of political office experience criticizing how someone who has been in politics for 20 plus years has changed their views....when during their four year (much shorter span obviously) has changed their views....To me this is a negative to the one who is stating this. ANd for the other side comparing the other opponent as a "star" personality....well, both are true...except why is this so influential? Because they as well as WE know it is the same reasoning why when we stand in the supermarket checkout we may not buy the rags on the rack about celebrities secret lives, we will peek into those pages.
I try my best to listen to what each person does over the course of their time, the choices they make, and the consistency they have. As a human being I cannot help but take into consideration their personal choices in thier lives, but I go more for experience over hyped talk.
I hope I didn't breach your repeating mudslinging, I just wanted to use examples. Nice topic and hopefully it won't turn into one of "those" that you normally see when people want to discuss how we choose who to vote for.
Have a great day.
2 people like this
