# Negative Campaign Ads **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 10, 2006, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975 "2006-10-10T21:12:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8baadc/32.png) [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicest_of_the_Damned)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/41 "2006-10-21T19:57:18Z")
The Phoenix has an interesting article with some statistics that call into question just how “tough on crime” Romney/Healy have really been. > **[Soft on Crime? - News - The Phoenix](https://thephoenix.com/article_ektid25082.aspx)** [http://www.thephoenix.com/Article.aspx?id=25319&page=1](http://www.thephoenix.com/Article.aspx?id=25319&page=1) > [@](#): > > A Boston Phoenix analysis of the DOJ data shows that the arrest rate for rapes was 26 percent — just under the national average — in the three years before Romney took office, but just 14 percent since then. During the three years under Romney and Healey, 758 arrests were made for rape in the state, compared with 1361 in the previous three years. That’s 600 fewer rapists arrested. The total number of reported rapes in Massachusetts, meanwhile, remained the same, even as the national figure dropped by 10 percent. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/42 "2006-10-21T20:05:45Z")
Here in Florida the hot button issue is insurance. The funny thing is just about every candidate is claiming that their opponent is in the pocket of the insurance companies, they get campaign money from insurance companies, and incumbants are accused of voting in favor of insurance companies. They accuse their opponent of being on the side of insuance companies and their opponent accuses them of the same thing. There’s only one candidate who actually has said she doesn’t take money from insurance companies. I haven’t had time to check out whether it’s true or not, but if not I’d think her opponent would be all over that. I don’t think a candidate can run these days without running a negative ad. It’s all down to sound bites and if you don’t counter their bad sound bites against you with bad sound bites against them, then you’ll lose because no one bothers to look up a candidates actual history. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/43 "2006-10-21T20:15:13Z")
[QUOTE=LilyoftheValley] We now have the [live-action version](http://www.boston.com/news/local/politics/candidates/articles/2006/10/21/inmates_take_protests_to_patrick/) of negative ads…[/size] [/QUOTE] As I mentioned in another thread, they’re not trying to win anybody to their side with these tactics. It’s been found that the nastier a campaign gets, the more the wobbly uncertain center says “screw it” and stays home. When a campaign starts resorting to tactics like these, they’re not trying to convince anybody to vote _for_ their candidate, they’re trying to suppress turnout overall so their already-committed voters count for more percentagewise. Very, very occasionally it backfires, but it’s been found to be an extremely effective approach. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/44 "2006-10-21T20:45:54Z")
[QUOTE=Siege] There were, however two political ads my parents got a kick out of when they ran back-to-back. In the first ad, our current governor talked about how he cut property taxes for senior citizens. In the next ad, his opponent said, paraphrased, “If you got one of those tax cuts, go right ahead! Vote for him. If you didn’t, vote for me.” My parents, you see, are senior citizens who haven’t seen one of those pay cuts. On the other hand, the main thing the challenger seems to have done is played in the Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers. While I’ve nothing against football players going into politics, I’d prefer they start with a job other than governor. [/QUOTE] Heh. That seems to the be the main sentiment around here. Now, I like Lynn Swann-I always liked him ever since I was little, because I knew him as the football player who also studied ballet, which I think is pretty cool. (Big macho he-man football player taking ballet lessons?) And I believe he used to be on Mister Rogers a few times when MR came to visit the Pittsburgh Ballet. BUT…I don’t want him for governor. Hell, his old teammate, Franco Harris, (who used to room with Swanny when they were on the road) doesn’t even want him in office! He’s stumping for Casey and Rendell. (Yet another reason why Franco is one of my all-time favorites!) Holy shit, **EddyTeddyFreddy** , Healey makes Santorum look almost like Santa Claus!!! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/45 "2006-10-22T03:03:26Z")
I didn’t even know there were any major elections this year. See, I live in Western Massachusetts. We are not important. No one east of Sturbridge cares about us. I haven’t heard or seen a single campaign ad - negative or otherwise, for anyone but the local government, since I moved out here. However, we have this strange relationship with Western Connecticut, one which even 6 years out here still has me baffled. People here work in CT and people from CT work here. I’ve even heard of a phone book which covers from Springfield to Hartford. I sometimes think that we should just get it over with and create our own state. Due to this strange relationship, we get all the CT campain ads. Someone (I forget his name) has been bashing Leiberman for over a month now. I had almost made up my mind to vote for Leiberman out of spite, until I remebered that I don’t live in CT. I have never heard an ad from Leiberman about this other guy though. ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/46 "2006-10-22T03:19:08Z")
It seems that the National Republican Congressional Committee has sponsored a TV ad in **Syracuse, NY** , attacking the Democratic candidate for a local congressional seat. The ad accuses him of making a call to a phone-sex line while on state business in NYC (he’s the Oneida County DA), and passing the bill on to taxpayers. [Here’s](http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/10/21/politics/p174403D53.DTL) a link to the story: > [@](#): > > Arcuri’s campaign said an associate mistakenly dialed an 800-number sex line two years ago from Arcuri’s New York City hotel room, and released records supporting the claim. The number shares the same last seven digits with the number for the state Department of Criminal Justice Services, which was dialed the minute after the first call was made. > > Arcuri, the district attorney in Oneida County, said the ad was “clearly libelous” and threatened to file a lawsuit. His GOP opponent, state Sen. Ray Meier, described it as “way over the line.” [Apparently Arcuri and Meier are friends, and Meier was **not** consulted by the NRCC before they decided to run the ad attacking Arcuri.] [Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDZ_bPYWjd8) is video of the ad on YouTube. It started airing in Syracuse yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/47 "2006-10-23T15:39:55Z")
[QUOTE=interface2x] One of my favorites was an ad criticizing Judy Baar Topinka a couple of months back. I don’t remember the whole thing, I just remember it saying something along the lines of “Judy Baar Topinka supported President Bush in the last election and even helped him campaign in Chicago. Judy Baar Topinka …what’s she thinking?” I loved that they used the mere fact that she supports the nation’s leader as a reason not to vote for her. [/QUOTE] Yep, the Democrats are trying to make this election a referendum on Bush. Midterm elections are often exactly that. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/48 "2006-10-24T11:58:22Z")
I live north of Chicago. The Democratic challenger for the House seat has charged the Republican incumbent with taking the wrong side on important issues, like the Iraq War, oil and energy, and medical care. These are all issues, of course. The Republican incumbent has responded by accusing the challenger of encouraging pedophiles. I’m tempted to send a letter saying that the Republican Party not only encourages pedophiles, it elects them to Congress and the House Speaker protects them. Nasty, nasty, and actually will sway my vote against the incumbent. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/49 "2006-10-24T18:55:59Z")
I have to laugh at all of this. You all hate the mind slinging; yet I haven’t seen one of you advocate making such campaigning tactics illegal; that the ads should only contain stands on issues. So what’s your solution people, or do you expect politicians to suddenly play nice? They need to be coralled like wild bulls. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/50 "2006-10-24T20:49:45Z")
Make them illegal? Hell no. I’m too much of a fan of free speech. Instead, my solution is far crueler to the politicians: don’t vote for them. If both Republicans and Democrats are running negative ads, look for a Libertarian or Green party candidate. I realize some people ask me if I’m willing to back up those words. As it happens, I have. A few years ago, there was a particularly nasty race for House of Representatives, as I recall. I actually called up the candidate whose ads had gone over the line and told him I had been considering voting for him, but, in light of his campaign, had changed my mind and would be voting for his opponent. (The candidate’s phone number was listed in the phone book.) To my amazement, a few days later, he renounced negative campaigning and said he’d stop doing it. Within a week, however, he was back to his old tactics. That year, I voted for his main party political opponent. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/51 "2006-10-24T22:28:06Z")
That’s just [what’s happening to Kerry Healey.](http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2006/10/independents_tu.html) Her “Deval Patrick loves rapists” crap has backfired badly in the polls. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/52 "2006-10-24T22:35:39Z")
Yep. I’m extremely leary of single-party politics in MA, because our state govt. has such a rich history of blatant corruption and graft. I was really quite willing to give Healey consideration, as she’s quite moderate on social issues, and said some of the right-sounding things early on as far as going after the Turpike Authority and so forth. Hell, I’d almost vote for anybody who promised to fire the entire MTA board and arrest half of them. But then she pulled this shit, and I’m totally disgusted. And then that leak to the Herald about his sister’s past. That just put me way over. What a fucking sleazy thing to do, humiliate his sister like that. Go crawl back into a hole in Nebraska, jerk. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/53 "2006-10-24T23:08:25Z")
[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves] That’s just [what’s happening to Kerry Healey.](http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2006/10/independents_tu.html) Her “Deval Patrick loves rapists” crap has backfired badly in the polls. [/QUOTE] :: Doing the happy dance :: ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/54 "2006-10-25T01:21:52Z")
[QUOTE=Loopydude] And then that leak to the Herald about his sister’s past. [/QUOTE] Hm? Clue in a curious Seattleite? Sounds nasty. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/55 "2006-10-25T01:25:53Z")
Our local birdcage liner, [the Herald](http://news.bostonherald.com/localPolitics/view.bg?articleid=162086). [Patrick’s](http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/democrant/2006/10/13/patrick_hits_back) response. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/56 "2006-10-25T01:35:50Z")
I should add that Healey claims she had nothing to do with the airing of this dirty laundry, but there’s considerable scuttlebutt to the contrary. She’s never once tried to distance herself from the smear, and has hammered away at this Patrick-the-Rapist-Advocate incessantly. It’s all she’s got. I really can’t believe how disgusting this woman has become in such a short span of time. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/57 "2006-10-25T17:59:49Z")
Around here I’ve seen a newer breed (to me) of negative campaigns where the ad attacks a candidate but does not openly shill for the opponent or their party. Almost as if they’d like their candidate to be distanced from the negativity. Clever and shitty at the same time. Personally I would vote for ending negative campaigns and their scummy cousin, “take a vote out of context ad”. You know those; the one’s where they say Joe Goober is against Veterans. But this is because he voted against a bill that would have given Vets money but also raised taxes 75%. This to me a lie by omission and shouldn’t be allowed. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/58 "2006-10-25T18:33:44Z")
I’m not going to google up references because, frankly, my blood pressure just couldn’t take it – but Missouri is awash in incredibly foul campaign ads. Jim Talent has flooded the airwaves, phone lines, and my mailbox with smears against his opponent, Claire McCaskill, that are nothing more than fearmongering hoping to prey on senior citizens. I can’t stand McCaskill, and voted for our (current) idiot governor instead of her, but Talent’s slime has actually swung me over to vote for her just to get rid of him. But that’s nothing compared to the stem cell initiative on the ballot. Opponents are out-and-out lying about it – claiming it’s going to lead to human cloning. The actual bill starts out with a statement that _outlaws_ human cloning, and further supports that stance in other provisions. It’s gotten so bad that supporters have had to come out with ads pointing out the lies. And those ads only make me realize how much I miss John Danforth being in politics. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/59 "2006-10-25T18:55:11Z")
Some analysis of [Healey vs. Patrick](http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2006/10/in_boston_the_s.html). ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975/60 "2006-10-25T21:14:14Z")
Holy cow. Thanks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-campaign-ads/375975.md?page=4)