Study: Since GOP Primaries Ended, Slim Majority Of Campaign Ads Have Been Positive

Earlier this year, the Campaign Media Analysis Group found that this presidential campaign has been one of the most negative in years. But just a few weeks after Rick Santorum dropped out and Mitt Romney switched to general election mode, another study by the same group finds that by an incredibly narrow margin, the majority of campaign ads aired since have been positive. Yes, in spite of all the negative campaigning that has gone on already, the Campaign Media Analysis Group found that since April 10, the day Santorum dropped out, 51 percent of all broadcast TV spots for presidential campaign ads have been positive.

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This news came over the weekend courtesy of CNN. Previous numbers found that roughly 70 percent of presidential campaign ads that aired during the primary season were negative. Here’s what the vice president of the analysis group told CNN:

“We may look back in November and see that 2012 was the most negative campaign ever, but thus far, that’s not the case. Since the Republican primary dust settled, the early phase of the general election air war has been marked by a basically even tonal split.”

Remember, this is a general election race so far that has been marked with attack ads over bin Laden and private equity and anything else you can think of. One political scientist who appears to be at odds with the CMAG’s findings said that we are currently “entering the World War III of attack ads.”

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