Negative Ads Mark Campaign Season's End

CBS Evening News: Campaign Commercials Distorting Opponents' Records Becoming Commonplace In State, National Races

(CBS)  We're coming to the end of another election campaign season that has, like so many before it, become increasingly bitter on the airwaves, reports CBS News correspondent Priya David.

In North Carolina, incumbent Sen. Elizabeth Dole, trailing in the polls to challenger Kay Hagan, blasted Hagan this week for an alleged association with atheists.

"She hid from the cameras, took godless money. What did Hagan promise in return?" the ad questioned, followed by a female voice saying "There is no God."

"This is the toughest, most vicious ad of the 2008 cycle," said Larry Sabato, of the University of Virginia.

Hagan immediately fired back in an ad where she directly addressed the camera, saying Dole's "attacks on my Christian faith are offensive." She followed that up with a defamation lawsuit.

Sabato says the Dole ad recalls a brutal last-minute attack by an earlier North Carolina Republican - Jesse Helms, who ran an ad during his 1990 reelection campaign attacking racial quotas.

"You needed that job, but they had to give it to a minority," Helms' ad stated.

[The Dole ad] isn't on race, but it's on religion and those are two of the great hot buttons of the South," said Sabato.

The negative tone has dominated the presidential race too. A University of Wisconsin study found that last week 63 percent of Obama ads and 79 percent of McCain ads were negative.

One McCain ad, for example, attacked Obama's record on education while in the Illinois State Senate:

"Obama's one accomplishment: legislation to teach comprehensive sex education - to kindergartners."

"Obama didn't sponsor this bill, the bill didn't pass," said Viveca Novak of FactCheck.org. "Ant it also talked about the importance of teaching children about inappropriate advances by adults."

But, according to FactCheck.org, Obama crossed the line into distortion with this radio ad attacking McCain on stem cell research:

"Stem cell research could unlock cures for diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer's too. But John McCain has stood in the way."

"It's a very carefully worded ad that leaves the impression that McCain opposes embryonic stem cell research. That is absolutely not true," said Novak.

While voters may complain about all the negativity, expect these ads to continue - because they work. Novak says attack ads sway voters, and that's what campaign commercials are all about.

[raymondafoss]

Out of Our Fears, Out of Our Hopes

Tomorrow, Election Day
we are given anew, a chance to decide
to choose our leaders, an opportunity to give voice
to our aspirations, our dreams, our wishes for our land
We can choose, to vote out of our fears, or
to vote out of our hopes.
I choose hope, over my fears
my dreams, over my doubts
my love, over my hate
my similarities, not my differences
my longing for a better world,
not walls around my home

I am voting for Barack Obama

November 3, 2008

[Confidential416]

I am an independent voter in PA voting obama. I refuse to let the republican party continue on the path to destroy this country. They have destroyed us financially, and globally - now they want to destroy social security and tax your health benefits. A vote for McCain is a vote for the Same McCain uses fear to get your vote A vote for Obama is a vote for Change Vote like you are the tiebreaker Vote for Change - we are tired of the same ole'' politics Vote for Obama

[albertw40]

We all knew that last minute exaggerations, lies, fear and nasty would be the GOP tactic. But the situation is still the same. Millions have been or are being laid off. Retirees have lost Trillions in value in retirement funds. People have lost homes, health care, pensions, the ability to send children to college/vocational school. Meanwhile rich CEOs like McCain adviser Carly Fiorina got 40 million dollar parachutes for laying people off. Even now, CEO''s are scheduled for 70 billion in bonuses THIS YEAR, many to bailed out companies. In other words, the Bush-Cheney, McCain-Gramm approach of make the rich super rich and middle class jobless is still in place. Don''t be fooled by the last minute nasty stuff. It is still Bush-Cheney, McCain-Gramm who cost you your job, your retirment and your health care. We need a president who cares for the Middle Class. That is Barack Obama.

[mumu11]

Well, judging by some of the comments, McCain could have saved money by not hiring admen and just trusting his rabid partisans with the propaganda. They''re passed masters at it.

[old_bard]

every time i trace back a mcsame ad to the basic story , i find that the facts were twisted. obama has ran a far cleaner campaign. i think that means he has far higher character.

[old_bard]

if the call comes on the red phone at 3:00am , i would 10x rather have a black civilian with a high iq, than a guy who finished in the bottom 1% of his class.

[old_bard]

if the call comes on the red phone at 3:00am , i would 10x rather have a black civilian with a high iq, than a guy who finished in the bottom 1% of his class.

[clovisbuford]

PLEASE DROP THE BICKERING AND PARTISANSHIP AND VOTE TO KEEP US SAFE.
Posted by ROYSTOLL2 at 07:57 PM : Nov 02, 2008 err are the all cap letters to amke you more important kind of like a 45 yr old man driving the expensive sports car to make him potent? you drop the cap letter and I will vote for Obama to stop the bleeding of the last 8 yrs and move us in a different direction .Deal? good , now can we move onto issues like global warming , health care , the economy , you know issues that matter. A foreign policy that keeps us safe and is respectful of other countries sovereign rights. a balanced budget .. I know they dont matter when youare talking about voting for a liberal .. because the country is in such good shape after 8 yrs of Bush , and 16 of a republican congress.and failed policies on financial deregulation and preemptive wars,etc. Bank bailouts , wall street bailouts , endorsed by a party that calls Obama the socialist? failed deregulation polices a doubled national deficit two wars , a drowned american city , and dems governance is the issue ? oh look in that mirro oh great one , you have met the enemy .. in the rhetorical sense ) not actual,we are all americans ..see ya NOv. 5th

[neederbaur]

From Dreams of My Father: "I ceased to advertise my mother''s race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites."

From Dreams of My Father: "I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother''s race."

From Dreams of My Father: "There was something about him that made me wary, a little too sure of himself, maybe. And white."

From Dreams of My Father: ; "It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names."

From Dreams of My Father: "I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn''t speak to my own. It was into my father''s image, the black man, son of Africa, that I''d packed all the attributes I sought in myself, the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, Dubois and Mandela."

From Audacity of Hope: "I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction."

[irmcvet97]

THIS IS NOT A SCARE TACTIC, IT IS THE TRUTH AND DEEP DOWN IN SIDE, YOU KNOW IT. PLEASE DROP THE BICKERING AND PARTISANSHIP AND VOTE TO KEEP US SAFE.

Posted by ROYSTOLL2 at 07:57 PM : Nov 02, 2008

After Bin Laden attacked this nation, George Bush, said he would hunt him down and bring him to justice. SEVEN years later Bin Laden is all fat and happy in his safe haven created by GEORGE W. BUSH and supported by John McSame. Now we find ourselves with a COMPLETELY rebuilt Enemy AND near bankruptcy. IF you care any at all about the security of this nation you will vote to change the leadership that has failed us so badly!!