Negative Campaigning: Positively Unacceptable

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By: Michael Lindquist

Election Day is still several months away, but the negative campaigning is well underway. Mitt Romney has already been ridiculed for his attack ads against Newt Gingrich. Ron Paul released an ad going after candidate Rick Santorum. As we get closer to November 4, we’re going to see less of the Geico Gekko and more electoral slugfests.

Negative campaigning is nothing new. The earliest known attack ad dates back to 1952. The ad was a black-and-white cartoon that depicted a Republican candidate with two heads. The overall message implied that Republicans engaged in double speak, where they would say one thing to one group and something else to another. In 1950, there were only about six million television sets in the U.S., so candidates could not completely rely on televised ad campaigns. However, by 1960 there were almost 60 million television sets, allowing presidential candidates to slam each other back and forth in front of a national television audience like a boxing bout between Ali and Frazier. The constant negative attention left undecided voters even more confused. Many of the swing votes started avoiding the electoral process altogether. Negative campaigning has also been blamed for the decline in voters. In 1960, there was a voter turnout around 60%. That percentage dwindled to 37% after the 2008 election. There is no clear winner in attack advertising, because at the end of the campaign, both parties look ugly, bruised, and beaten.

Some of the last ads voters see before Election Day are the harshest. These ads have more impact because there is little time for the opposing candidate to respond to the claims. During the final days of the 2008 presidential campaign, Sarah Palin made attacks on President Obama, stating that “our opponent is someone who sees America as so imperfect he’s palling around with terrorists who would target their own country.” That information was taken from a New York Times article that later stated that Obama had no current contact with Ayers (the “terrorist” Palin was referring to.)

Some experts claim that candidates attack out of fear, which would explain why some of the more prominent candidates choose to abstain from attack ads. However, attack ads are very common these days; those who avoid negative campaigns often become a doormat while other candidates take cheap shots. Some candidates can only take so much abuse before they start swinging back.

Why should the presidential candidates of the United States of America be allowed to lie, cheat, and steal voters? We don’t see Pepsi claiming that Coca-Cola puts poison in their formula, and we haven’t seen an ad where Ronald McDonald started false rumors about Wendy, because there are regulations in advertising. Claims made in advertising are under scrutiny because without regulations, companies could be unfair and dishonest. All pharmaceutical companies are under extreme pressure to support all of their claims with concrete facts that must be approved by the FDA. When claims are not supported, regulatory organizations take immediate action to correct the situation so the American people are not misguided. To misguide voters during the electoral process is ridiculous, and should be grounds for serious consequences.

The presidential election is a representation of the democratic process, which allows the people to choose the best-suited candidate for the job. How can voters make an intelligent decision when they are brainwashed by unconfirmed rumors and outrageous statements? Negative campaigning undermines the legitimacy of the entire electoral process, and there must be another way to attract voters. Presidential candidates need to stick to the issues, fight fair, and prove themselves to be leaders of this great nation.

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About the Author

Michael Lindquist has a strong passion for art, entertainment, and advertising. As a child, he learned it was okay to color outside the lines, because the lines only restrict your creativity and imagination. Find him online here.

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