Smear ads and their effectiveness

[OnionPatch]

It seems to me that over the decades, whenever I've seen smear ads, they work in the following way....if they're against a Democrat, they seem to work. If they're against a Republican, they backlash. Why is it that Republicans seem to get away with this so easily and affect people's votes but if a Dem makes a smear ad, they accuse them of dirty campaigning and there's a backlash? Anyone else seem to see this? Or am I wrong? I'm just blown away that these Swiftboat Liars for Bush are able to syphon off even a single vote. Amazing.

[SharonAnn]

1. Because the corporate owned media denounces the ads that

are aired against Republicans. They are denounced loudly, widely, and repeatedly in all the corporate owned media so that public hears, over and over again, that not only are the ads false but that they are sponsored by the despicable Democratic hate party.

On the other hand, if a smear ad against Democrats is aired, the corporate owned media replay it for free on the "news" shows and then have "balanced" discussions about it that, at best, lean towards the "well we don't know if it's true or not but there is certainly food for thought in this ad." At worst, the corporate owned media shows the ads and talks about them as if they're true with headlines and sound bites like "Veterans who served with Kerry tell the REAL STORY".

[TexasBushwhacker]

2. Well, if I were a fence sitter ....

I would say that even someone who is "independent" and "undecided" probably leans at least a little one way or another. Someone who's leaning a little to the left probably considers smear ads to be the stuff of the right, and when the left uses them, it pisses them off. Someone who is leaning to the right has probably been buying the right wing lies already, at least to some extent.

I think it's important that Kerry address the charges brought by the Swift Vets without appearing to smear Bush back. JMHO of course.

[still_one]

3. This will be different

It will not matter what the corporate whores try to peddle

There are vets coming out slaming this trash, and by proxy the media shrills will be part of it...

[Fovea]

4. The republican base has long been addicted to hate

and so a smear is an easy sell for them.
Dems on the other hand, have gotten a lot of success getting them kicked on ethics charges, so I applaud the end of the ethics committee peace treaty, and welcome the upcoming bloodbath.

Americans of all stripes will be the beneficiaries.

[BillZBubb]

5. There is definitely something to your observation.

The main reason, I believe, is that the Repugs will fight tooth and nail, using any tactic no matter how foul. Democrats feel some innate need to be fair minded, even when it costs them.

Another problem is consistency. All Repugs repeat the same party line in unison and never stray from the script. They gain traction and reinforcement by repetition. The Democrats, on the other hand, are all over the place. Their surrogates freelance instead of sticking to the intended talking point. In essence, they undercut each other.

Male voters (on average) respect fighters and don't pay as much attention to who is right or wrong, especially if the issue is murky.

[scarface2004]

6. smear ads don t do squat!!

its just another rw media lie that says 'because negative ads are effective the campaigns will use them'

that is bullshit....

[sallyseven]

7. The bushes

have used this tactic forever. They used it under poppy against The Duke, used it against John McCain, who by the way is looking like a jerk right now, and now against Kerry. We cannot stop these people for expressing their first amendment rights. Yes you can Mr. bush because they are lying their heads off and are complete fools. I want to see the names of the 220 vets behind this bs. I'll bet they can't get 220. They are bing paid by bush operatives. Can't let those oil wells and tax cuts get out of our pockets.