# Is dirty/negative campaigning effective? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 14, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dirty-negative-campaigning-effective/543181 "2010-06-14T19:01:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dirty-negative-campaigning-effective/543181/21 "2010-06-16T17:15:04Z")
If you want to see crap negative campaigning, take a look at [slime on Obama](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHxb_vZe7Ao&feature=player_embedded). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dirty-negative-campaigning-effective/543181/22 "2010-06-16T17:40:02Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > \*Ma, Ma, where’s my Pa? > > Gone to the White House, ha ha ha.\* > > Think that was campaign mud flung at somebody…maybe Harrison…back in the day. [Grover Cleveland, in the 1884 election.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1884#Campaign) (The smirking “Gone to the White House, Ha! Ha! Ha!” tag was added by Democrats after Cleveland won it anyway.) ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dirty-negative-campaigning-effective/543181/23 "2010-06-16T17:41:05Z")
I’ve started several posts along these lines, but asking a politician about negative ads are like asking a carpenter about a screwdriver. Some jobs don’t require it, some do. Attack ads help draw distinctions between candidates. What’s more, they draw understandable and memorable distinctions. When are negative ads not appropriate? In some parts of the US, there may be sensitivities to different things: in more traditional states, it can be a risk for a male candidate to attack a female candidate too strongly. Other places this isn’t an issue. I’m not sure there is a blanket rule of thumb for when negative campaigns work, I think it is a matter of understanding what issues resonate with voters and how a campaign can exploit those issues to their advantage. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dirty-negative-campaigning-effective/543181/24 "2010-06-16T21:47:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Ideally, a campaign seeks to accomplish three things: You forgot one: You also want to discourage your opposition from going out to vote. This can be the most effective means for negative campaigning to work. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dirty-negative-campaigning-effective/543181/25 "2010-06-18T03:31:42Z")
The quick and “dirty” answer is: Yes, it _ **always** _ works. Unfortunately, sometimes your negative ad works best _ **for** _ your opponent. 🙂 In other words, they can backfire. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dirty-negative-campaigning-effective/543181/26 "2010-06-27T02:39:12Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Remember the deluge of slime launched against Sarah Palin? Not only did it not work, but it backfired badly; all the Democrats had to do was wait for her to be interviewed. No I don’t. Palin a deluge? She was a nobody that the repubs dug up and offered for VP. I can not image a rank unqualified outsider walking into the Vp slot and get a placid press. She got plenty of good press from Fox. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dirty-negative-campaigning-effective/543181.md?page=1)