Well, if you watch almost any commercial break in a newscast this time of year, you’re almost certain to see a political ad.
And you’ve probably noticed they are getting increasingly nasty.
So, why are we seeing more negative advertising these days, and can we expect the trend to change anytime soon?
Probably not.
Why? Because while voters might say they don’t like them, they’re effective.
“Every year, after election research, it shows that it had an impact and it works,” said 10News Political Expert Lars Hafner.
Hafner says you’re also seeing negative ads even sooner this election cycle.
Politicians used to wait until it got closer to election day to start going negative. But not anymore.
“Because of early voting taking place,” Hafner explained. “People aren’t saving their ammunition until the end. They are trying to get a message out to the early voters. And if they don’t start early, then it’s going to be a lost part of their message.”
Of course, the risk that comes with so much negative advertising is that the ads can lose credibility -- or maybe even backfire.
“It still has the capability of turning the voter off at the tail end,” Hafner said. “And, they could lose an election based on it. But I think they still try, because it’s been a tried-and-true policy.”
The lack of political civility, says Hafner, is trickling down from Washington to state and even local races.
“It’s nastier,” Hafner said. “Because politics is nastier.”
And if you think they’re bad now, just wait, says Hafner, predicting campaigns could be saving their ugliest attacks for the days leading up to the November midterms.
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