Hillary Clinton’s “3 a.m. phone call” ad has been parsed again and again since the March 4 primaries, with most pundits using it to launch their quadrennial protests that campaign ad negativity weakens the very fabric of our democracy by manipulating and misinforming voters. But tirades against negativity reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of elections. Negativity is essential to democratic politics and ultimately yields a more engaged and better-informed public. [A column co-authored by Ken Goldstein, professor of political science at UW-Madison]
Office of Strategic Communication