Still Like a Democratic Drawbridge: Going Down For Everybody

S. Weasel writes about negative campaigning and includes a nifty graphic for visual learners.

Every four years, sure as shit, the media yammers about whether the Dems should “go negative” because the Republicans always “go negative” and even though people say they don’t like it when politicians “go negative” it really does work. So sure enough the Dems “go negative” and it doesn’t work and the Republicans “go negative” and it does work and the talking heads declare that Democrats are just too doggone nice to pull off the whole “go negative” gambit.

You know, for the smartypants egghead academic party, y’all sure can be pinheads.

Go read the whole thing.

As for her exit question, sure, it counts as going negative when all you do is complain that your opponent will surely go negative and that makes baby Jesus cry. But this only brings it through Step 1: it is true there will be negative campaigning. The charge doesn't come close to making it through the second step: it isn't significant.

So, of course, you don't get very far complaining about negative campaigning.

posted by Gabriel Malor at 12:27 PM

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