Negative campaign ads are common in American politics, but can come across as gritty or vindictive if not handled properly. Candidates may start with positive ads, but may turn to negative ones to sway undecided voters. Any aspect of an opponent’s public life can be fair game, but personal attacks should be avoided. Negative ads can backfire and candidates should ensure information used is verifiable and related to their opponent’s political or public life.
As many Americans realize around Election Day, political campaigns aren’t always pretty. Candidates for various jobs can spend thousands of dollars creating television commercials that highlight their goals and accomplishments or cast serious doubts about their opponents’ qualifications or abilities. When a political candidate openly criticizes his opponent’s character or record, the result is called a negative campaign announcement. A negative advertising campaign can be an effective way to question an opponent’s qualifications, but it can also come across as gritty or vindictive if not handled properly.
Many political candidates start their elections with the idea of maintaining a positive campaign. Early campaign ads are often filled with scenes depicting strong family values, a humble upbringing, or a reminder of previous political successes. However, these idyllic images alone rarely leave a noticeable mark in polls. To sway undecided voters, a candidate may decide to create his or her first negative campaign ad, especially when running against a popular incumbent.
In a negative advertising campaign, any aspect of an opponent’s public life can be fair game. An opponent may say they support a tax cut, for example, but their voting record may show a number of previous votes in favor of tax increases. Associations with controversial politicians could also be included in a negative advertising campaign. Some candidates use a negative advertising campaign to expose an opponent’s major sources of funding, such as a trial bar association or major oil companies. A negative advertising campaign works best when it focuses on proven political failures with impeccable sources.
One area that a negative advertising campaign should always avoid is the personal life of the opponent. Voters may tolerate attacks on each other’s public records, but personal attacks on an opponent’s private life are another matter. Topics like alcoholism, divorce, and other personal issues are rarely, if ever, mentioned in a legitimate negative commercial. Whenever a political campaign boils down to name calling and name calling, voters often consider a third candidate or abstain from voting altogether.
Even candidates who pledge not to run a single negative ad campaign may feel pressured to respond to their opponent’s accusations. Snippets of a candidate’s negative campaign ad can be used by his opponent to refute the allegations. In politics, the first candidate to place a negative ad is often at an early stage of disadvantage. Opponents can reclaim moral “territory” by resisting the temptation to launch a negative attack so quickly. Almost inevitably, however, the subject of negative hype will launch a counterattack as soon as possible.
Many voters feel that the campaign’s negative ad has lost much of its impact. Candidates who turn negative too often may appear arrogant or sly. Their opponents may actually win votes from sympathetic voters tired of the relentless attacks. It is vitally important that any information used in a negative advertising campaign is verifiable from an outside source and relates to the opponent’s political or public life, rather than her personal life.
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