Terry Woster of the Argus Leader, who often writes about life on the prairie, has a great piece today about the distinction between highlighting an opponent's record and statements and "negative campaigning." It's an important distinction. Excerpt:
What really fries me is the misuse of the term negative in any talk of political campaigns. When I think negative campaign, I think Donald Segretti's dirty tricks in the Nixon-McGovern campaign, the little girl with the flower and the atomic mushroom cloud in the LBJ and Goldwater race, the Willie Horton- prison furlough spot in, what was it, the Dukakis and Bush race. ... I don't mind, though, if one candidates calls the other on a position, a vote, a statement or an issue.
Yes, agreed. As I tell my students when talking about 1964, if you want to see negative, see the little girl with the flower ad from 1964.
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