“The Bush people dumped $20 million of negative ads on our heads; it’s going to have an impact.”
– Steve Elmendorf, John Kerry’s deputy campaign manager.
Or, as AP reporter Ron Fournier put it a few weeks ago:
While sticks and stones may break some bones, negative advertising will hurt you.
UPDATE: A reader makes a good point in the Comments section:
I would rather see us take the high road. However, the media and Dems would accuse us of running “red meat ads” and “vicious attack ads” even if the ads showed nothing more than GWB petting a puppy.
He’s right, of course. Remember how the lying liberal media responded to the first round of “positive” ads? They trotted out ultra-liberal 9/11 families with headlines that literally read: “Sept. 11 Families Disgusted by Bush Campaign Ads.” -- PoliPundit
Goo-goo “reformers” like John McCain are always saying that “negative” campaigning drives down voter turnout.
I disagree. “Negative” campaigning informs voters of a candidate’s record and impresses upon them the gravity of the choice they’re making in the voting booth; so I’ve been urging the Bushies to go negative for several months now.
The latest Gallup poll backs me up. After several months of Democrat attacks, followed by a few weeks of Bush attack ads, goo-goo “reformers” would expect voters to be tuning out from the presidential race. However, voter interest is at an all-time high:
5. Compared to previous elections, are you more enthusiastic about voting than usual, or less enthusiastic?
More enthusiastic Less enthusiastic Same No opinion Registered Voters 2004 Mar 26-28 52 29 18 1 2004 Jan 29-Feb 1 56 32 10 1 2000 Oct 13-15 38 39 20 3 2000 Mar 10-12 39 38 22 1 2000 Jan 7-10 45 37 17 1 1996 Oct 23-24 17 36 45 2 National Adults 2004 Mar 26-28 51 32 16 1 2004 Jan 29-Feb 1 55 34 10 1 2000 Mar 10-12 37 40 21 2 2000 Jan 7-10 43 38 17 2 Republican leaners 2004 Mar 26-28 52 27 20 1 2004 Jan 29-Feb 1 53 31 15 1 2000 Mar 10-12 45 32 22 1 2000 Jan 7-10 51 32 16 1 Democratic leaners 2004 Mar 26-28 51 35 13 1 2004 Jan 29-Feb 1 59 34 6 1 2000 Mar 10-12 33 47 19 1 2000 Jan 7-10 39 42 17 2
The Bush ads are working. Here’s what Gallup has to say about them:
In a survey taken in mid-February, Kerry led Bush by 28 percentage points in [17 swing states where the ads are airing], 63% to 35%. Now Bush leads Kerry in them by six points, 51% to 45%.
In contrast, there has been much less volatility in states where the ads haven’t aired. Kerry held a four-point lead in them in February; Bush holds a two-point lead now.
Running those ads costs money. Every dollar you contribute ensures that several voters in a swing state see an ad exposing Kerry’s ultra-liberal record.
Today is Wictory Wednesday. Every Wednesday, I ask my readers to volunteer and/or donate to the Bush 2004 campaign.
If you’ve already donated and volunteered for the Bush campaign, then talk to your friends and enlist them in this battle for America’s very soul.
If you’re a blogger, you can join Wictory Wednesdays simply by putting up a post like this one every Wednesday, asking your readers to volunteer and/or donate to the Bush campaign. And do e-mail me at wictory@blogsforbush.com so that I can add you to the Wictory Wednesday blogroll, which will be part of the Wictory Wednesday post on all participating blogs:
“The Bush people dumped $20 million of negative ads on our heads; it’s going to have an impact.”
– Steve Elmendorf, John Kerry’s deputy campaign manager.
Or, as AP reporter Ron Fournier put it a few weeks ago:
While sticks and stones may break some bones, negative advertising will hurt you.
UPDATE: A reader makes a good point in the Comments section:
I would rather see us take the high road. However, the media and Dems would accuse us of running “red meat ads” and “vicious attack ads” even if the ads showed nothing more than GWB petting a puppy.
He’s right, of course. Remember how the lying liberal media responded to the first round of “positive” ads? They trotted out ultra-liberal 9/11 families with headlines that literally read: “Sept. 11 Families Disgusted by Bush Campaign Ads.” -- PoliPundit
Goo-goo “reformers” like John McCain are always saying that “negative” campaigning drives down voter turnout.
I disagree. “Negative” campaigning informs voters of a candidate’s record and impresses upon them the gravity of the choice they’re making in the voting booth; so I’ve been urging the Bushies to go negative for several months now.
The latest Gallup poll backs me up. After several months of Democrat attacks, followed by a few weeks of Bush attack ads, goo-goo “reformers” would expect voters to be tuning out from the presidential race. However, voter interest is at an all-time high:
5. Compared to previous elections, are you more enthusiastic about voting than usual, or less enthusiastic?
More enthusiastic Less enthusiastic Same No opinion Registered Voters 2004 Mar 26-28 52 29 18 1 2004 Jan 29-Feb 1 56 32 10 1 2000 Oct 13-15 38 39 20 3 2000 Mar 10-12 39 38 22 1 2000 Jan 7-10 45 37 17 1 1996 Oct 23-24 17 36 45 2 National Adults 2004 Mar 26-28 51 32 16 1 2004 Jan 29-Feb 1 55 34 10 1 2000 Mar 10-12 37 40 21 2 2000 Jan 7-10 43 38 17 2 Republican leaners 2004 Mar 26-28 52 27 20 1 2004 Jan 29-Feb 1 53 31 15 1 2000 Mar 10-12 45 32 22 1 2000 Jan 7-10 51 32 16 1 Democratic leaners 2004 Mar 26-28 51 35 13 1 2004 Jan 29-Feb 1 59 34 6 1 2000 Mar 10-12 33 47 19 1 2000 Jan 7-10 39 42 17 2
The Bush ads are working. Here’s what Gallup has to say about them:
In a survey taken in mid-February, Kerry led Bush by 28 percentage points in [17 swing states where the ads are airing], 63% to 35%. Now Bush leads Kerry in them by six points, 51% to 45%.
In contrast, there has been much less volatility in states where the ads haven’t aired. Kerry held a four-point lead in them in February; Bush holds a two-point lead now.
Running those ads costs money. Every dollar you contribute ensures that several voters in a swing state see an ad exposing Kerry’s ultra-liberal record.
Today is Wictory Wednesday. Every Wednesday, I ask my readers to volunteer and/or donate to the Bush 2004 campaign.
If you’ve already donated and volunteered for the Bush campaign, then talk to your friends and enlist them in this battle for America’s very soul.
If you’re a blogger, you can join Wictory Wednesdays simply by putting up a post like this one every Wednesday, asking your readers to volunteer and/or donate to the Bush campaign. And do e-mail me at wictory@blogsforbush.com so that I can add you to the Wictory Wednesday blogroll, which will be part of the Wictory Wednesday post on all participating blogs:
A USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll shows a remarkable turnaround in 17 battleground states where polls and historic trends indicate the race will be close, and where the Bush campaign has aired TV ads. Those ads say Bush has provided “steady leadership in times of change” while portraying Kerry as a tax-hiking, flip-flopping liberal. (Related item: Latest poll results)
The ads have been one factor in wiping away an inflated lead Kerry held in those states. Most of them have had primaries or caucuses that allowed Democrats to dominate the news and Kerry to emerge as a victor. In a survey taken in mid-February, Kerry led Bush by 28 percentage points in those states, 63% to 35%. Now Bush leads Kerry in them by six points, 51% to 45%.
In contrast, there has been much less volatility in states where the ads haven’t aired. Kerry held a four-point lead in them in February; Bush holds a two-point lead now.
John Kerry is off the campaign trail for a few weeks:
As Sen. John Kerry prepares to go under the knife for a shoulder injury tomorrow, he got grim news from his doctor.
For a regular person, his prognosis is excellent. But for a politician in the throes of a major political campaign, it was close to terminal:
No handshaking for at least three weeks.
No high-fiving or fist-pumping for five to six weeks.
And no baby-hugging for at least eight weeks.
“This will be done on an out-patient basis and I expect a full recovery,” said Dr. Bertram Zarins, head of sports medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Within two or three weeks, he’ll be shaking hands again.”
For a pol going head-to-head with President Bush, three weeks is an eternity without a rope line.
But I’m sure the lying liberal media will keep the anti-Bush stories coming while Kerry is away. So don’t expect any let up in the campaign. -- PoliPundit
How much would John Kerry’s gas tax increases cost you? Find out with this nifty calculator.
Then watch the new Bush TV ad on this, which is the most effective one so far. The ad is funny, focuses laserlike on one issue, and features the best possible victim - you. It plays into, and solidifies, the already-congealing image of Kerry as a wacky liberal.