Are political ads effective?

[Archae]

I just got off a live chat in a political forum, and tonight we had an intersting concept.

One of the guys has said that political ads, especially TV and radio ads, are worthless.

I agree, no one I've ever known or met made up their minds based on a TV or radio ad.

[RC]

1. They help keep the names in front of the Dance With the Stars viewers.

So, if they see the familiar name on the ballet, they will be more likely to vote for it.
I wish that were sarcasm, but it is not.

[dimbear]

2. Nobody likes Romney, everybody knows it including the Republicans, but he's buying the nom.

With ads.

[hobbit709]

3. They only thing they've done is to make me more AGAINST someone.

[chieftain]

4. My experience says absolutely yes.

I was Political Director on a US Senate campaign. During the primaries and the general , we polled every night to get a 3 day rolling average. Invariably, whoever was on tv the most had his best showing. With the increase in money and polling techniques, I am sure it is even more true today.

[Mariana]

11. What about negative ads about their opponents?

In a lot of those, the opponent being badmouthed gets more time in front of the viewers than the candidate who bought the ad.

Edited to add: Sleazy negative ads tend to put me off the candidate who bought the ad. I don't mind them at all if they're truthful and relevant - I appreciate being told the information. If they contain lies, distortions or exaggerations, as they so often do, that's very different.

[unkachuck]

5. very effective....

....in conditioning how you FEEL about a candidate or party....elections are mainly emotion....you may not make up your mind based upon TV or radio ads but they will certainly color your final choice....

....corporations, the rich and their stooges wouldn't be spending hundreds of millions of dollars on campaigns, TV and radio ads, if ads didn't produce the result they wanted....

....they only spend money, if they will make more money, than they spend....

[Stan Smith]

6. I think they are to some degree.

I think a lot of people don't spend too much time thinking about politics so when some talking head on the tube comes on and says "Vote for me" for this reason it can make an impression on people and they may not even realize it.

As for me I know what I believe in, and who I support so I'm never swayed, although they can be educational if they provide some fact on the candidate that I hadn't heard before.

[PoliticAverse]

7. Do you think Fox News is effective ? n/t

[Archae]

8. Fox is effective because they aren't an ad.

They have the veneer of a serious news channel, so their faithful viewers will believe their propaganda.

All we liberals and moderates can do is recount the facts and logic.

[saras]

9. They're as effective as anything else business will pay that much money for

If political ads weren't effective, negative campaigning simply wouldn't exist. It's expensive, it's dangerous, it's illegal. It's done anyways because it pays off really well.

Nearly ALL ads are effective. If you think they're not, then you're not looking for the same effect the people making and funding the ad are looking for.

The current American situation is bizarrely atypical, and not something one can reasonably generalize from.

[Incitatus]

10. Yes, most people do not spend hours a week getting their news.

People on political forums like this one and the one you were just at are the minority of the population. When people are bombarded with political ads, there is an effect. It may only affect a small percentage of the population, but many elections are won by small percentages.