Monday, May 10, 2004

Swingin': My reporting trip once again took me to a swing state, this time Pennsylvania. The TVs in the background kept playing Bush ads trashing Kerry over and over and over again.

I still have yet to understand the effectiveness of negative ads. Yeah, I have a problem with Kerry being a waffler and weak on defense, but hearing that accusation ad nauseum doesn't strengthen the point. In fact, it weakens the effect. I start to think that Kerry can't be all that bad, and that the Bush campaign is most likely exaggerating its case or taking something out of context.

Most importantly though, the tone of the ads are depressing. Bush is an incumbent. He needs to talk about what he's done and what he's going to do. If all he has are some trumped up charges against Kerry, then that doesn't exude confidence.

The ads should convey optimism. Instead, I hear a president on the defensive and who seems scared of his upstart challenger.