Anti-McCain RP automated call in NH

[Rearden]

Just got a rather disturbing call here in NH:

"John McCain is no friend of the taxpayer. He voted against the Bush tax cuts, and supports giving taxpayer benefits to illegal immigrants. Ron Paul voted for the Bush tax cuts.... etc etc."

I believe this strategy is a grievous error. It's one thing to utilize negative campaign tactics like anti-McCain calls, and McCain is the guy to go after right now due to his climbing poll numbers in NH. But I think it's a mistake to combine a pro-RP call with an anti-McCain message.

And the fact that it's automated... People in NH are used to retail, door-to-door politics. They're not used to this sort of mass-production campaigns the way people in larger states are.

Just an observation from the ground here.

[tsetsefly]

this is the second negative ad against mccain...

[itshappening]

they should go after him over the war, it's not an attack but a contrast

voters need to know they have a choice, i dont see what's wrong with it

[FreedomProsperityPeace]

NH voters are very anti-tax, so this seems like a good strategy to me.

[Ron LOL]

Did the call say it was paid for by the RP 2008 PCC? Because I really still find it difficult to believe that RP would resort to negative ads...especially with Ron Paul saying things like "I don't even mention my opponents' names."

[FluffyUnbound]

We have to fight the "negative campaigning is bad" meme.

It's just another tool employed by the establishment of both parties to protect incumbents and insiders from criticism.

How else do you bring voters' attention to differences between the candidates than to say, "McCain voted against tax cuts; Paul didn't" or "Giuliani advocates torture; Paul doesn't"?

Trust me. "Negative ads are bad" is just a BS meme brought to you by the same BS artists who invented "Money corrupts the process" and "Partisanship is what's hurting the country" and "Centrism is always the best way to go".

[Ron LOL]

We have to fight the "negative campaigning is bad" meme.

I could probably get on board with this. Does anybody know offhand whether Romney's negative campaigning has been at least slowing Huckabee's rate of growth in IA?

[FreedomProsperityPeace]

Huckabee did have a 12-point lead in Iowa, and now they're neck-and-neck. I don't know if all that was because of Romney's negative ads, or if part was Huckabee shooting himself in the foot.

[UCFGavin]

yeah, was this endorsed by the official campaign?

[SovereignMN]

TRUTHFUL ads that have relavence to the campaign are not NEGATIVE!

A negative ad is something untruthful like "John McCain wants to eat children." or an ad that is completely unimportant to the election "John McCain is Anglican...and Anglicans want to have gay ministers."

[RonPaulFever]

There's a big difference between going negative (smearing your opponent) and pointing out critical differences on policy issues.