Who are those political attack ads supposed to target?

Basically, yeah. Attack ads are to drive the committed to the fence, and to shoot the fence-sitters off.
One more reason to not watch television.

Not entirely. A lot of what you are seeing today is an attempt to generate enthusiasm among the base. Republicans are energized democrats are not. The fear is that many democrats will just stay home rather than going to vote. There is little chance that a registered democrat would vote Republican but if they stay home that’s almost as bad.

So if you can paint the Republican as crazy, or very extreme, the base gets out to insure those guys don’t get elected. Much of the ads you see won’t sway an independent undecided voter but if it gets a democrat to vote that otherwise wouldn’t, it worth it.

And as an additional benefit, an attack ad takes your attention off the issues and focuses on the person. The last thing the democrats want to talk about is the economy.

They may also be to get people who may not vote “fired up” even if they already tend to agree with you.

If you think they are ALL “sleaze balls” then why don’t YOU run for political office?? : )

The adds are sickening, the phone calls and polls are the same.
I have an autistic son to care for. I can’t run.
I find both parties sickening.
No ones cares about the American Middle class, people with disabilities or senior citizens.
They call cater to the Lobbyist,other nations and illegal aliens.
They are so busy being Politically correct they step on Middle Class America’s.
I want candidates who represent the Middle Class.

@philosopher

I can’t disagree with anything you said. Have you considered becoming a Libertarian? : )

@CaptainHarley
I am too busy with my son to take time to be Politically involved.
I have very Consecrative family that constantly pressures my husband but; they are wealthy. They have no clue how we suffer.
I dislike Obama strongly. I hated Bush and I feel completely unrepresented.
No one cares about my autistic son’s needs.
Obama did not help us much more than Bush. Obama has one plus he does not oppose research on the basic of nonsense. He his not a fascist. However he placates terrorist.
In my angriest moments I wish everyone to experience what I have but; I really don’t mean it. I simply want them to care.

@philosopher

Believe it or not, I care. I am very sorry to hear about your son.

I know the ads you talk of, I have seen quite a few over the years. The only time they have ever seen them in real life was in the UK. but here on the little island I live on, you dont really get much off it. a candidate may call another one some names or something, but they dont put an ad out on tv to slander you.

I don’t understand these ads at all. I don’t understand how they are supposed to make people act. what outcome they could want is beyond me. maybe they want people to hate their oponent, poison the wells a bit. but that cant be the case, or at least hope not, on the basis of who would hate a person just over an ad. if anything, they just make me think the person who run the ad is deceptive and will sink to low levels to get what they want, and therefore im less likely to vote for them.

If anything, the only reason they exist that i can think of, is not to get voters, not to convince undecided people, but perhaps, to keep the voters they already have from leaving them. a little incentive to stay. other than that, i cant see any kind of logic in it that makes much sense.

My brother was libertarian until he had a child with Downs Syndrone. Then he wondered what would happen to his child if he died. He realized that society had a responsibility to take care of the weak. Humanity should be above “survival of the fittest.”

@CaptainHarley
You are a caring wonderful person.
I guess that is why you are not a Politician.
You can run for office. I wish you were.