Is Negative Campaigning Good for America?

Dick Morris argues they help; James Leach argues they hurt. Post your thoughts

By U.S. News Staff

October 6, 2008 RSS Feed Print

The current presidential election has been described as one of the most brutal in modern memory. Voters consistently complain about negative campaigning, but politicians keep employing such tactics and, in some cases, keep winning. Is negative campaigning a politically helpful, healthy tactic? Post your thoughts below.

Previously: Who won the debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden?

Tags:
presidential election 2008,
campaigns,
politics

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If the political view point scale were a 1-10, with conservatives at one end and liberals at the other, most Americans would rate themselves somewhere in the middle. In our current national political situation you are forced to pick from either end of the scale. Negative ads are there to push us to either end of the scale. Because of this kind of advertising, we then make our choices based on what we don't like, instead of what we do.

Robert Sanders of TX 8:37AM July 06, 2010

Negative ads make the candidate seem petty and meanspirited, which are not traits that I want in a leader. To disagree with your opponant's positions can be accomplished by a well reasoned dialogue justifying your position versus his/her's. All too often the "facts" in negative ads are out and out lies or serious distortions of the truth, and people viewing these ads know that. We, the voting public, aren't stupid... please.

Jennie, California July 5

Jennie Smith of CA 12:10AM July 06, 2010

By the way, I have been in professional sales for 24 years. The kind of sales in which the sales cycle is long, 2 years or so, and you must count on repeat business with the same customer base. I have never figured out how to convince my clients to buy from me by denigrating my competition. I have always thought that my clients were too intelligent to be tricked into making a decision in my favor. I have always thought that I must show the value of my product or service in order for them to decide in my favor.

Apparently, that does not seem to be the case in our current political environment.

William Matthew Pizzolato of CA 6:54PM July 05, 2010

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