The 2014 Midterm elections are the most expensive elections in history. Candidates and special interest groups have spent nearly $4 billion dollars on this year’s election. And with more spending comes more negative advertising.
Central Lakes College Political Science Professor, Steve Wenzel, says, “In the 2012 Presidential election, $2 billion dollars was spend on television and radio, most of it negative advertising.
Wenzel says a St. Thomas study found since 2010 negative ads on TV and radio outweigh positive ads 15 to 1.
Wenzel says, “And that is alarming. But it’s proof of the fact that the politicians, the campaign managers, the consultants and all of them think this is effective and that’s the way they either win an election or prevent their candidate from losing.”
Here in Minnesota’s 8th District Democrat Congressman Rick Nolan and his independent supporters have spent about $5.8 million dollars while Republican challenger Stewart Mills and his independent have spend about $6.9 million dollars. And both candidates’ independent supporters have spent about 85% of their money on negative ads.
Nolan says, “People hate these negative ads and you know the pros say they work. I don’t believe it. We have not run one single negative ad, but it’s all these independent groups that come in, running ads against my opponent, running ads
against me, we have no control over that. I’m running positive ads. People want to know what you stand for what you believe in and who you’re for in the election and that’s what we’re trying to do is run a positive campaign.”
We also contacted Mr. Mills campaign team two weeks ago to give a comment and the chose not to. On the campaign trail, Scott Sheahen Lakeland News.

By — Lakeland PBS

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