Maybe for the local elections but not the nationwide..

When I first voted the ads gave me a sense of where the people stood on 2 Ballot issues.
It was to give the Legislature more Pay ($$$) and Make the Lt. Governor Not the Presiding Officer of the Legislature.
May 14th , 1974.
Both were defeated.
But that same year (Probably because of the Federal Republican Issues) the Governor was re-elected (D) and the Legislature went Bluer.

In terms of TV ads the audience must be smaller every election "cycle." My young niece and nephew (early 20s) never watch TV (and also don't use Facebook). To me that means most of the TV ad spend is useless because I think the people that might see them have likely already made up their minds. Plus, the ads suck. They're total shit, at least the ones I've seen here.

of course they do. just not the way you might expect.

same with other forms of advertising.

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quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
12131 said it best. And I do believe there are people who vote solely on what they see in the ads.

I agree. I also think many of the uniformed voters are unable to associate their vote for Congressman/Senator with who becomes Speaker of the House/Senate Majority Leader.

I need to mount a 55 gallon garbage can under my rural mailbox. Today, Informed Delivery tells me I have 5 pieces of mail. They are all various size post cards telling me that their opponent is a dumb ass. Most of them are right.
Mike

Not for the party line toters. Won't make a single difference. But I think most people are sway voters meaning they'll vote for either side. The swing people, yes the ads make a difference. That's who they are made for.

Its more about that old adage "out of sight, out of mind" if you are not in front of the people you won't be remembered when it matters.

Some people bet on horses based on pedigree, history, track times, read and study the facts on the horses, others, it's how pretty the horse is or the jockey's silks colors...

You have to cover both bases..

As already mentioned, there have been effective ads in the past. Kim Klacik's ad for a Baltimore legislative position is a good example of one this year.

That said, I can't think of one that mattered to me or influenced my vote.

Jim