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With the November general election coming, Iowa's airwaves are already filled – or cluttered, depending on your point of view – with political ads.
Some contain messages approved by the candidate, others are paid for by special interest groups, which as a result of U.S Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling in 2010, can advocate for and against candidates and issues without restrictions on the amount of money spent.
For example, as of Aug. 14, Crossroads GPS – the powerful political action committee advised by Karl Rove – and Americans for Prosperity have poured almost $60 million into TV ads to influence the presidential race so far, outgunning all super PACs put together, the nonprofit public interest journalism group ProPublica reported.
How effective is paid media? Does it change your vote? Take our poll.
Beth Dalbey
7:40 am on Monday, August 20, 2012
Do political ads – and especially the ads not authorized by candidates – change your opinion on a candidate or issue?
Randy Yontz
8:10 am on Monday, August 20, 2012
Very upset to open the Waukee Fest event schedule in the Waukee Patch and find political ads. A huge turn off, especially with the mug shots that are up.
David Leonard
8:58 am on Monday, August 20, 2012
Ads don't affect my opinion one iota because I know who I'm going to vote for before I see the first ad of the season. The ads just make me angry because, except for the clearly positive ones, they are all filled with distortions if not outright lies, and the ads give me carpal tunnel syndrome from constantly hitting the mute button. I can't believe anyone is affected by political ads, and I'm not sure I want to meet anyone who is.
Jeff Klinzman
9:57 am on Monday, August 20, 2012
I would rephrase the question. The ads don't influence my decision, which is based on what I read and on my own values. However, those ads do have an influence in the aggregate, and by turning some people off to the process do achieve their end.
Nathan Wheat
4:49 pm on Monday, August 20, 2012
Exactly, if anything they just make me lose faith in the whole political process, and that just is not right.
Kathy Taylor
10:35 am on Monday, August 20, 2012
I have to agree with Jeff K's statement. I hate the ads, I even more hate the calls. Why can't all politicians be put on the do not call lists instead of exemping themselves?
James
1:01 pm on Monday, August 20, 2012
If you do your own research, and keep with what you believe then the negitive adds wont matter.
But they are itnended for those uminformed and those who believe what they hear, rather than find out for themselves.
As an independant, Im always surprised at the amount of lies both side put up. However I do think Obama takes the cake, and no way will I vote for him a 2nd time.
Jeff Klinzman
10:56 am on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Your are entitled to cast your vote as you please, James, but you are being delusional by blaming Obama when the Romney campaign has been dropping whoppers right and left. Let's be honest: it is the GOP which has done the most to pollute political discourse with negative campaigning, because they have nothing positive to contribute to our nation's future, and have to bamboozle us.
I place the lion's share of the blame on the GOP activists who have pulled their party dangerously far to the right.
Troy Murphy
8:39 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Of course you do Jeff, because you like to spend other peoples money. Most of us GOP activists really could care less at this point about the social issues you like to harp on. What we are really against is bankrupting our country like Greece. It really is a clear choice. Fiscal responsibility or continued borrowing. We are borrowing 40% of every dollar spent. We need to immediately cut spending by 40%. I will then talk about raising taxes to pay off the debt but not until we quit spending more than we take in. I would probably agree to increase what I pay if you could guarantee that it went only to debt reduction but like most liberals you really don't care what we spend as long as it isn't your money and ultimately that is what is wrong with America.
Jeff Klinzman
9:01 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
"Blah-diddy, blah-diddy blah blah blah." Dandy Warhols.
Bob Jones
10:14 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Let's see, Obama or his surrogates accused him of killing some women with cancer, then they accused him of being a felon, then they accused him of wanting to shackle blacks ......
Troy Murphy
10:20 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
What does an obscure alternative Rock band from portland Oregon have to do with anything. Not sure what lyrics from the Dandy Warhols you are quoting but OK I like music to "Blah-diddy, blah-diddy blah blah blah" right back at ya.
James
1:13 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Negitive Adds have been going on for awhile. Since Washington, not bothered by it. I do get bothered by the lies. That Obama fella was dropping adds with blatent lie's back when he was running againt H. Clinton. And now he's doing it again. Maybe he should run some adds on what he's accomplished that he has done good for America, other than those who want a handout.
I dought he does, since he want to distract everyone from it and keep shootiung blanks.
Paula Eck
4:29 pm on Monday, August 20, 2012
The ads are 1/2 truths! They just annoy me! Especially the tv ads!!!!!
Charley Knoll
8:47 pm on Monday, August 20, 2012
Yes they influence my vote and because of the negative and false ads ran by the Romney campaign I will not vote for him. I'm so sick of all the ads running on TV, I stay away from watching local TV networks. The networks need to take ethical charge of what they run. If they find out an ad is fictitious then stop running it., but they won't because its all about the money.
John Andrews
6:50 am on Thursday, August 23, 2012
No ad is going to convince me to vote for any crooked republicrat.
Terri Holliday
9:29 am on Sunday, August 26, 2012
I can't stand the ads! I get so tired of lies. Why can't they tell the truth? I go to the political fact checker to see if things are true or false. From what I see, Romney lies a lot more than Obama. Check it out. http://www.politifact.com/
Julia Anderson
3:52 pm on Sunday, August 26, 2012
I am generally part of the political process from beginning to end and in between, that is the way our Republic was designed to run. Informed, educated moral citizens, so no I don't watch ads ever and they don't effect my vote. This country is in serious trouble and it is a lot worse than dishonest political adds. Oh, and I don't use politifact or any of these other search engines to do my research on someone. I read their critics and see what they are saying, then I listen to what they actually say, and then I watch what they actually do, in so far as one can ascertain from all our biased media sources. It takes a lot of research to know what is going on now days. Politicians aren't the only liars.
TaterSalad
10:27 am on Monday, August 27, 2012
The seats are full, the people are riveted to find out the "truth" of Barack Obama and his hate for America as it is!
A powerful movie and the truth about Barack Obama that has never been exposed to the public. The government does not want you to watch this movie!
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/08/22/a_powerful_movie_115175.html
Charley Knoll
4:54 pm on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Sorry you wasted your money TaterSalad on the movie, but the buttered popcorn is always good. Do some research on Dinesh D'Souza and you will see that this guy from INDIA is full of BS, Don't fall for it, this guy is a real loon. haha
http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Dinesh_D'Souza
TaterSalad
12:41 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
This article below shows what our President, Barack Obama has brought to America. Yet, liberals and the Democratic Party support this! We can only shake our heads in disgust.
http://moonbattery.com/?p=16645