Aug 22, 2008 7:06 pm US/Central
Political Campaigns Go Negative At The State Fair
(WCCO)
Visitors to the State Fair have an opportunity to learn more about the candidates running for political office. The candidates not only provide information about themselves, but about their opponents.
If it seems as if political campaigns this year are more negative than usual, you're not imagining it. At the fair, people are noticing.
"I don't like the negative ads," said one woman at the fair.
"Rather than bash each other, stick to the issues," said another fairgoer.
IT'S TRUE.
At the State Fair, political mischief seems to be everywhere.
The John McCain booth displays a giant tire gauge; a sarcastic jab at Barack Obama, who urged Americans keep their tires inflated to save energy.
Obama's campaign is hitting back by asking fairgoers how many homes they own. For McCain, the number is 7.
At the Norm Coleman booth they've got a camera set up. Fairgoers can record a message to Al Franken about the gas tax. The messages end up on a link on Norm Coleman's official campaign website.
But that's NOT THE WHOLE STORY.
For the thousands who will see all of this at the fair, hundreds of thousands are watching the campaign unfold on television.
The Al Franken campaign is using -- what else? A talking fish.
There's a fine art to negative campaigning. It can be edgy, but it cannot be mean spirited.
Although many voters say they don't like it, politicians know negative campaigning works. People remember naughty more than they remember nice, and they take it into the voting booth.
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