By host Tom Ashbrook:
It may be the age of YouTube and the Internet, but in the homestretch of the midterm elections, it is straight-in-your-face traditional media — especially television — that is popping with campaign ads this season.
Two billion dollars spent on political and so-called “issue ads” in this campaign — a new record, and four hundred million more than in the 2004 presidential contest. Those ads are fierce, funny, nasty, ugly.
Some go for the angelic soft sell — politicians in church pews or on horseback. More go for the fear and loathing button — ticking bombs, Bin Laden in the shadows, red-handed corruption, scandal.
In the final hours, we take a tour of the good, bad and ugly of campaign 2006 ads.
Quotes from the Show:
“The American public is able to make pretty good decisions. These ads that sell something disreputable will backfire.” John Geer
“You can’t create good ads when you don’t have good candidates.” John Geer
Guests:
David Axelrod, Democratic media consultant, Partner with AKP Message & Media, Responsible for the ads in Deval Patrick’s gubernatorial race in Massachusetts and House candidate Tammy Duckworth in Illinois
John Geer, professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University and editor of The Journal of Politics, and author of “In Defense of Negativity: Attack Advertising in Presidential Campaigns”
Brad Todd, Republican media strategist, Partner with OnMessage Inc, responsible for the ads behind Michael Steele’s Maryland campaign for U.S. Senate
