http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/07/ad-spending-by-independent-groups-rises-in-race%E2%80%99s-homestretch/
Here is an article about increased advertising by independent 527 groups. These groups circumvent limits on donations to the candidates by buying their own advertising for or against particular parties.
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With the countdown to Election Day closing in, the McCain campaign is getting desperate. Desperate times lead to desperate measures and I would expect to see a very aggressive ad campaign in the final weeks of the contest. From the swift boat ads of George W/Gore race to the Willie Horton ads during the Dukakis/ HW Bush race, the ads have had an emotional appeal and played an integral role in public perception of candidates and their positions. The ads also are aimed at getting base or “one issue” voters out to the polls. The commercials center on abortion, gay marriage, and other emotional issues and I expect independent group ads will become more prevalent and a little more sinister as November approaches.
The ads come with little accountability and I assume they provide a way for candidates to evade campaign finance laws. The truth seems to often be the casualty in these ‘sound-bite” commercials. The candidates have said in the past they oppose the ads but in a hotly contested battle, neither candidate will take the chance of backing down on any component of the campaign machine.
The emotional appeal of the ads is a little disconcerting. Disconcerting or not, the marketers will tell us negative campaigning works. Unless radical changes are made to the campaign finance laws, independent group advertising will continue to assault us in any and all media outlets.
Brian A
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