Campaign ads turn negative

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 10/8/7

A week or so ago, almost as if a switch was turned on, television advertising by statewide political candidates went from soothing to stinging.

“Negative advertising unfortunately works,” reflected Marty Wiseman, director of the Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University.

“There have been polls where people say they do not like negative advertising, but then by tracking campaigns it is proven that it does work more often than not.”

Currently, candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general are running television advertising on a statewide, consistent basis. And all of those candidates also are the subject of negative campaign advertising.