How we won: Reports add up the bottom line on negative ads

[Dickie Flatt]

http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5145731.html

Minnesota's DFL Party shelled out at least $800,000 in independent spending for November's state House elections, with almost half of it going toward negative ads and mailings against Republicans. ...

In one mailing against St. Louis Park Republican Jim Rhodes, widely considered one of the more moderate Republicans in the House, a weathered and dejected looking old woman sits slumped in a rocking chair in dark shadows. The ad asks: "Could You Turn Your Back on Her?" The other side proclaims: "Republican Jim Rhodes Turned his Back on Minnesota Seniors. Say NO to Republican Jim Rhodes and His Extreme Agenda!" ...

Attacks were not aimed only at Republican candidates. One mailing from the House Republican Campaign Committee accused a number of DFL candidates of being indebted to "powerful Indian casinos" and asked "Who will stand up for us?"

Another mailing suggested that southern Minnesota DFLer Ruth Johnson "votes like she represents downtown Minneapolis -- not us" and says that Johnson was "the only rural southern Minnesota legislator who voted to treat homosexual couples like married couples."

You know, both sides put out some negative ads, but at least ours were issue-based. That mailing against Johnson not only tries to divide us geographically but also seeks to inspire hatred against gay Minnesotans. Disgusting.

The "extreme agenda" business was definitely the DFL's theme; most of the mailings I received from them attacked the GOP's "extreme agenda."

The GOP's dumb "Indian casinos" attack was obviously a loser.

[no name no slogan]

1. I actually KNOW Ruth Johnson-- she's a GREAT rep

She works in administration at Gustavus Adolphus College, and has always been a great voice for not just the students there, but the entire community of St. Peter, too.

In fact, she clearly reflects the values of St. Peter-- a town which John Kerry won handily, btw-- and has legislative experience, to boot. In fact, IIRC, she was a Lieutenant Gov candidate in 1994 during the primary.

It's really funny how the GOP is so pissed off at the DFL for spending all this money on the race this year-- despite all the $$$ that flowed into Mark Kennedy's and Norm Coleman's war chests. It's funny how quick they are to cry foul when DFLers beat them at their own games...

:mad:

[NVMojo]

2. In Nevada, the Repukes conducted a real nasty mailing campaign

like that against Kerry, it was nasty. It may have helped push Bush to win by only a mere 21,000 votes.

[Eric J in MN]

3. negative ads work

If only John Kerry hadn't told MoveOn to drop their Bush-went-AWOL ad.

[MsAnthropy]

4. The GOP had the BFEE appearing for them at least once a week

they didn't need to advertise.

[MNGremlin]

5. The analysis may be a bit premature

The Strib article seems to be based largely on a press release and analysis from Minnesotans for Responsible Gaming (not exactly nonpartisan) which used incomplete data.

If you look at the actual data from the MRG website, you'll notice that both party PACs supported targeted races. The MN GOP PAC ran support ads in 31 MN state house races. The DFL PAC ran support ads for 15 MN state house races (in 14 of those races, ads classified as "attack" ads - by MRG - were also used).

The GOP won 14 of their 31 targeted races. The DFL won 8 of their 15 targeted races. Those percentages don't look significantly different.