# Why do so many recent ads NOT identify the relevant party?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-recent-ads-not-identify-the-relevant-party/763416>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [August 20, 2016, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-recent-ads-not-identify-the-relevant-party/763416 "2016-08-20T15:34:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2016, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-recent-ads-not-identify-the-relevant-party/763416/1 "2016-08-20T15:34:51Z")

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For either the candidate being discussed (pro or con) or for whatever party (if any) paid for/supports the ad.

For the POTUS ads no big deal, but the downballot ads NEVER tell me that Gov./Senator/Rep. X is a Democrat or Repub. I had to Google them to ID their party.

Why do they do it this way?

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**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-recent-ads-not-identify-the-relevant-party/763416/2 "2016-08-20T15:48:52Z")

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Because they believe they can get more votes that way, most likely because they think that the candidates at the top of their parties tickets are unpopular in their jurisdictions.

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**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2016, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-recent-ads-not-identify-the-relevant-party/763416/3 "2016-08-20T15:55:19Z")

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> [@John\_DiFool](#):
>
> the downballot ads NEVER tell me that Gov./Senator/Rep. X is a Democrat or Repub.

Why should they?

(By which I mean, not “Why would it benefit _you_ for them to do so?” but “Why would it benefit _them_ for them to do so?” How would doing so make you more likely to be influenced by the ad?)

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**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2016, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-recent-ads-not-identify-the-relevant-party/763416/4 "2016-08-20T16:07:51Z")

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I see it a lot around here (Chicago area) in state legislative elections from Republicans. Springfield has a supermajority of Democrats and I guess the GOP candidates feel that not mentioning their party affiliation (and often with green or purple campaign signs) will help keep people from immediately rejecting them.