The Wisconsin Recalls: Most Negative Campaign Ever (Really!)

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The recently-concluded Wisconsin state Senate recalls, in which Democrats came just shy of their uphill goal of winning a majority in a backlash against Gov. Scott Walker’s anti-public employee union legislation, may have set a record. In addition to many millions of dollars and countless man-hours being expended — resembling Congressional races at the federal level — they were possibly the most negative campaigns on record in this country.

According to the Campaign Media Analysis Group, which is now headed up by former UW-Madison professor Ken Goldstein, the overall advertising on the pro-Democratic side weighed in at 99% negative, with 89% negativity on the pro-Republican side.

“People are always wanting to say, ‘This campaign is the most negative!'” Goldstein told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “I’ll say it. I’ve never seen a campaign more negative.”

To be clear, negative ads are not necessarily a bad thing. In many cases, they are true, or at least genuinely reflect the negative opinion that one side has about the other’s policies. Some questions can arise about the degree to which they spur turnout by a party’s base, and potentially depress swing voters from turning out — but that is a more complex picture to sort out, with advertising making up one of many factors at play.

Also according to statistics of the top spending by outside groups, pro-Democratic groups spent over $5.16 million, with the single biggest player being the union-backed We Are Wisconsin at $4.59 million. The pro-Republican outside groups were just slightly behind at $4.80 million, with the biggest player being the Club For Growth at $2.55 million.

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