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Question & Answer

Michael Rocca, Assistant professor, Political Science

The Daily Lobo sat down with Michael Rocca, assistant professor of political science, to discuss the pros and cons of negative ads in political campaigns.

Daily Lobo: What is the principle behind negative ads, and do they work?

Michael Rocca: Negative advertising works, and that's why candidates use it. If an overly negative campaign does happen, turnout usually drops. It does increase knowledge among voters, and people tend to remember negative ads as opposed to positive. One guy goes negative, the other candidate is going to answer back negative. Oftentimes, candidates won't respond to negative ads if they are way ahead in the polls.

DL: What are the consequences of running negative ads?

MR: They contribute to why, in general, Americans have such a distaste for politics.

DL: When comparing the candidates, who has aired more negative ads?

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MR: My impression is that McCain is spending more money on advertising than Obama is. So far, I haven't seen any negative ads from Obama in New Mexico. Obama's strategy from day one is to spend money on what we call the ground war; he is putting a lot of money on the ground to register voters and such. But I think we can expect a bunch more ads coming from Obama because he has a lot of money to fund it.

DL: Is there a limit to negativity?

MR: We are the ones monitoring how far the ads go. It is much more up to the individual voter to decide who is going too far. It's just classic political strategy. It's stretching the facts a little bit. The ads might seem a little bit off, but they are backed up by some correct facts. But on their face value they can seem a little ridiculous, but that is the kind of thing that might attract voters.

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