Political ads: It’s getting quite nasty

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Is anybody fit for office anymore?

A Florida congressman casts his foe as a religious extremist, “Taliban Dan.” A challenger in West Virginia stresses a lawmaker’s Arab-American ancestry as shadowy and foreign. Other candidates are nothing but liars, misers, cheaters, even traitors, judging by the 30-second TV attacks.

Deep-pocketed independent political groups are making the 2010 election homestretch the most scathing in years. In the frantic final days before the voting, a blitz of negative ads is hitting the air in more than two dozen tight congressional races.

The ads warn that candidates who say they’re on your side actually care more about Arabs or illegal immigrants — take your pick — than about you. And the other guy seeking your vote? Why, he’ll simply make stuff up to get it.

This is personal. But often anonymous.

In the past month, candidates, the political parties and outside groups have purchased millions of dollars in commercial time. Of the resulting ads, 60 percent have assailed candidates for their stands on issues or for their character, according to the Campaign Media Analysis Group, which monitors such advertising.

Groups operating separately from the parties or the candidates are particularly focused on delivering tough messages. Eighty-nine percent of their ads attack political opponents, according to CMAG.

“Everyone has a reason to do negative ads,” said Evan Tracey, the group’s president. “Challengers do it to get competitive, incumbents do it when they’re worried about losing to challengers. And groups, if they’re running positive spots they’re wasting their money.”

And it’s getting tougher out there.

With a galvanized Republican electorate, a Democratic administration seeking to invigorate its base, incumbents concerned about survival and challengers energized to kick them out, there’s a reason it’s so disagreeable out there: Tough ads work. They fire up partisans, provide more information than feel-good ads, and while they might turn off some independent voters they also help undecideds make up their minds.

It’s a time-honored practice with a vicious history. Allies of John Quincy Adams printed handbills accusing Andrew Jackson of executing six militiamen in 1813 without cause. Jackson’s wife was accused of being an adulteress. Grover Cleveland was mocked as the father of a child out of wedlock with the slogan, “Ma, Ma, where’s my Pa?” Supporters had the last laugh when he won: “Gone to the White House. Ha, ha, ha.”