We may not like the idea of negative campaign ads -- and there are legitimate reasons to believe that they contribute to the decline in opinions of public officials -- but they work. It is rational for candidates to use them.
Again, what does this tell us about the rationality of the American public? We say we don't like negative ads, but we respond to them anyway. There's a disconnect between what we say and what we do. Perhaps at the end of the day, as Madison suggests, passion wins out over reason.
- Negative Campaigning.
- Going Negative.
