The Negative News About Positive Political Ads
Near the end of Tuesday’s “On the Issues with Mike Gousha” session at the Law School, Gousha asked Mike Tate, chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, and Reince Priebus, chair of the Wisconsin Republican Party, whether they thought candidates can win while running positive campaigns.
Neither directly answered the question from Gousha, the Law School’s Distinguished Fellow in Law and Public Policy. But Tate came closer. You have to have to draw contrasts with your opponent, he said. And when one campaign launches an ad that is arguably negative, “it’s an arms race,” Tate said. If you don’t respond, you risk losing. Voters remember negative ads, Tate said.
Priebus responded by criticizing Democratic campaigns for playing what he called “small ball” this fall, focusing on minor matters that they could use to attack Republicans instead of on major issues, like jobs, the economy, and the growth of government spending.
What neither said to Gousha’s question was, yes, you can win by staying positive.