Here
are two classic combat ads, one on the attack and one on defense. Both are extremely
good at presenting their intended arguments, yet note that, despite realizing
their intent in the narrow, neither was part of the winning campaign. The first
was a bombshell lobbed by the campaign of Republican Bob Dole in his attack
on Democrat Bill Clinton in 1996, surely one of the great character attacks
of the television era. Voters agreed with its overall judgment, but ultimately
viewed other issues as more consequential.
The second piece is an excellent response to an issue attack, from the campaign
of Republican George Bush Sr. against Democrat Bill Clinton in 1992. Bush was
under attack on the economic dimension for the dire state of the national economy,
so the piece attempts to shift the campaign focus by linking economics with
foreign affairs, an area where the incumbent president was viewed much more
positively.
