McCain, Obama nearly equal in negative ads
While most polls show that voters believe John McCain is running a more negative campaign than Barack Obama, a new count out today suggests they are running nearly equal numbers of negative TV ads in local markets.
Nielsen Media Research says that from June 3, when the Democratic primaries ended, through Sept. 7, the most recent reporting period, the McCain campaign ran 76,238 negative ads against Obama, and the Obama campaign placed 75,246 negative commercials against McCain.
Viewers in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin have been barraged by the most negative spots, Nielsen said.
McCain's most-aired negative ads criticized Obama on taxes, spending, and foreign oil and domestic drilling. Obama's went after McCain on the economy, the Iraq war, and the housing crisis.
About Political Intelligence
Glen Johnson is Politics Editor at boston.com and lead blogger for "Political Intelligence." He moved to Massachusetts in the fourth grade, and has covered local, state, and national politics for over 25 years. E-mail him at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen. |
