Political attack ads return as 2012 election nears

As GOP presidential candidates continue their march toward the White House, the gloves are coming off. Political advertisements are an important part of getting a candidate's message out. Attack ads have become seemingly more and more a necessary evil that is part of that overall package. According to CBS News, negative ads are "designed to win voters in early primary states." However, while one can get lost in the plethora of negativity, not all attack ads are created equal. Frank Luntz, president and chief executive officer of Luntz Global, LLC, an advertising company, says that an overly dramatic presentation can be completely ineffective.

"Any time you have that fake drama, voters turn off," he said. He goes on to say that an effective ad would include such elements as an "actual visual and voices of people involved." It is also essential to remember that instead of just criticizing an opponent, the candidate needs to present, "a call to action."

Attack ads are often misleading or outright false. For instance, during the 2008 presidential election an ad accusing Senator John McCain of not being able to relate to voters because he couldn't even use e-mail brought on a firestorm of criticism. McCain had previously spent five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Needless to say, once the public was made aware of the facts about his torture and the fact that he refused to be released early just because his father was a high ranking U.S. Naval officer, sympathy ensued and those who instigated the ad came off looking not only petty, but downright malicious.

Attack ads will continue to be just one of the tools that political candidates and their supporters use to either gain votes or at least dissuade voters from considering opponents as viable contenders. After the 2010 landmark Supreme Court decision on campaign finance, anyone can create unlimited ads either for or against any given candidate. This has created powerful new methods for outside money to have the ability to influence voters. The effects of such ads in this election cycle remains to be seen.