Political Campaigning (Thursday, April 6, 4th period)

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

"You've been watching political ads and have spent a few months learning about your candidates. Today we talk about going negative." He gave them a smirk. "Or, as I prefer to think about it--the hard positive. You're not necessarily telling the voters that your opponent hates his mother and kicks puppies in his spare time--though if he does and you've got tape of it, for the love of God, use it--you're just telling them things about him that he'd rather you not mention."

He clasped his hands together. "Going negative can include everything from bad votes to extramarital affairs. And the voters say that they hate that kind of thing." He raised an eyebrow. "Polling data indicates otherwise. Eventually, yeah, your numbers will take a hit because you're being mean or whatever. But in the short term it does some serious damage to your opponent."

He walked around the room. "So the question becomes when do you go negative? Do you wait for them to start it, then strike back? Do you wait for them to start it and then have a press conference deploring their lack of propriety and whatever?"

He waved his hands at the class. "Or will you be one of those campaigns that never goes negative and then gets its ass kicked? Discuss."

Comments

Re: Negative Campaigning

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Leaving ethics out of it," Rory said thoughtfully. "See, I can't do that. I would run one of those campaigns where my ass is handed to me because I can't be mean."

Re: Negative Campaigning

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Which was why you had me for a campaign manager, the first time around," Parker pointed out. "And we had a difference of opinion about that."

Re: Negative Campaigning

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Still do," Rory said, petting the tiny bunny firmly hugging her side. "But I also don't think that's why we won."

Re: Negative Campaigning

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"True." Parker pouted. "Bel never did get called on being a bully. Everyone was all 'Omigod, you outed him!' or "Demon! Omigod, he's going to kill us in our beds!' Idiots."

Re: Negative Campaigning

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

"And the negative backlash on that is one reason why negative campaigns can cause problems," Elizabeth said.