An Attack Ad Election

Sadie Dingfelder runs down the latest research on the the effectiveness of political ads:

In the past, campaigns have been wary of deploying negative ads for fear of backlash, says [political science professor Travis Ridout]. However, that may be changing as campaign operatives see evidence that negative ads can break through party affiliations and also sway independent voters. A case in point: Mitt Romney’s February landslide in the Florida Republican primary came on the heels of the “most negative advertising campaign in history,” according to the nonprofit Campaign Media Analysis Group. The week before the primary, 99 percent of Romney’s ads were negative, while 95 percent of Newt Gingrich’s ads were negative.

“I wish candidates wouldn’t use them, but attack ads work perfectly,” says Joel Weinberger, PhD, a psychology professor at Adelphi University. “Democrats know it, Republicans know it, and it’s going to get ugly this year.”

The amount of mud about to be dumped on the president and Romney is unfathomable. Thanks, Supreme Court!