Political campaigns turn more negative as primaries near
AND FIVE, AS WELL AS AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER. AND AS THE DAYS TICK DOWN TO HOURS FROM PRIMARY DAY, MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN GETTING SOME SPAM TEXT AND POLITICAL ADS AS WELL. AND COUNTLESS EXPERTS SAY THAT IS ACTUALLY BY DESIGN. OUR PEYTON FURTADO SPENT THIS DAY LEARNING FROM EXPERTS ABOUT WHY THAT IS. ONE OF THESE TEXTS, MUDSLINGING ADS THAT YOU’RE SEEING ON YOUR COMPUTER, ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND SOME THAT YOU MIGHT BE GETTING TO YOUR PHONE ARE MEANT TO SWAY UNDECIDED VOTERS. AND RIGHT NOW, IN THIS PARTICULAR ELECTION, THERE’S A LOT OF UNDECIDED VOTERS. THEY WANT YOU TO SEE IT AGAIN AND AGAIN. I’VE SEEN SOME PRETTY NASTY ONES. AND IT’S ALL THIS, YOU KNOW, THE AI MAN VOICE OVER. SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE GENERATED BY AI, AND IT’S ALL LIKE TRUMP ENDORSES THIS PERSON, OR TRUMP DOESN’T ENDORSE THIS PERSON WITHIN A PRIMARY. REMEMBER, THEY’RE JOSTLING FOR POSITION AMONG PEOPLE. THEY ALL AGREE WITH ON VIRTUALLY EVERY ISSUE. SO THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN DISTINGUISH YOURSELF VERY OFTEN IS ON VERY PERSONAL ISSUES. AND THAT CAN GET PRETTY INSULTING. AND AS WE GET CLOSER TO PRIMARY DAY TO SEE AGAIN AND AGAIN THESE NEGATIVE ATTACKS LEADING UP TO THE THE FINAL PUSH, THERE’S NO MORE DEBATES. THERE’S VERY FEW WAYS OF GETTING OUT POLICY DIFFERENCES. SO IT’S THOSE PERSONAL DIFFERENCES AND INSULTS THAT WE’RE GOING TO SEE CANDIDATES SAY, SOME GO TOO FAR. MONDAY, PAMELA EVETTE AND ALAN WILSON BOTH POSTED ABOUT AND CONDEMNED TEXTS ABOUT ROMNEY AND HIS RACE. WELL, OF COURSE, IT’S TO CHARGE THE EMOTION AROUND PEOPLE AND THE MORE NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL CHARGE CHARGE AROUND. YOU’RE MORE SUCCESSFUL. THAT’S HOW MISINFORMATION WORKS. EXPERTS BEST ADVICE. THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS ACTUAL RESEARCH. DON’T LET OTHER CANDIDATES DO YOUR RESEARCH FOR A CANDIDATE FOR YOU. THANK YOU. AND LOOKING AT SOME OF THE RESEARCH HERE AT THE CLEMSON UNIVERSITY SOCIAL MEDIA LISTENING CENTER, WE’RE LOOKING AT SPECIFICALLY THINGS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ROMNEY, PAMELA ABBOTT AND ALAN WILSON. AFTER SOME OF THOSE TEXT MESSAGES WENT OUT, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE POSITIVE AND THE NEGATIVE TEXT MESSAGES AND THINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA. READY SEARCH IS ACTUALLY TRENDING QUITE A BIT RIGHT NOW. IF YOU LOOK DOWN HERE, A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT PAMELA ABBOTT LOOKS LIKE ALAN IS A BIG ONE HERE. WE’RE SEEING RALPH, WE’RE SEEING NORMAN, WE’RE SEEING RON READY. WE’RE SEEING A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS FOR THESE PARTICULAR CANDIDATES. I’M SEEING NANCY OVER HERE. EVEN KIMBREL, WHO’S OUT OF THE ELECTION AT THIS POINT. SO WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT RESEARCH? WELL, YOU COULD GO TO A RELIABLE WEBSITE. ONE THING I RECOMMEND WYFF NEWS 4 ACTUALLY HAS WHOLE STORIES WITH INTERVIEWS WE’VE DONE WITH EACH CANDIDATE IN CERTAIN RACES. SO YOU CAN FIND ALL THE CANDIDATES, REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS, EVEN SOME THIRD PARTIES ON OUR WEBSITE FOR WYFF NEWS 4 DOT COM. LISTEN TO THEM YOURSELF AND MAKE YO
As the days tick down to hours from primary election day, you may notice you’re getting more spam texts and countless political attack ads. Experts say that’s by design. “They want you to see it again and again,” said Enamul Kabir, co-director of Clemson University’s Social Media Listening Center. “Campaigns have been getting more and more negative within a primary,” Scott Huffmon, founder of the Winthrop Poll, shared with us in an interview. “Remember, they’re jostling for position among people they all agree with on virtually every issue. So, the only way you can distinguish yourself very often is on very personal issues. And that can get pretty insulting.”And as we get closer to the end of primaries, you may see those ads and texts more. “We’re going to continue to see again and again these negative attacks leading up to the final push. There’re no more debates. There’re very few ways of getting out policy differences. So it’s those personal differences and insults that we’re going to see,” Huffmon said.Keep up with what’s happening around our area by downloading the WYFF News 4 app on the App Store or Google Play.Candidates say some go too far.On Monday, Pamela Evette and Alan Wilson both posted about and condemned texts and Rom Reddy and his race. “Well, of course, it is to charge the emotion around people. And the more negative emotional charge, you’re more successful. That’s how the misinformation works,” Kabir said. “The best thing you can do is actual research. Don’t let other candidates do your research for a candidate for you,” Huffmon said.
As the days tick down to hours from primary election day, you may notice you’re getting more spam texts and countless political attack ads. Experts say that’s by design.
“They want you to see it again and again,” said Enamul Kabir, co-director of Clemson University’s Social Media Listening Center.
“Campaigns have been getting more and more negative within a primary,” Scott Huffmon, founder of the Winthrop Poll, shared with us in an interview. “Remember, they’re jostling for position among people they all agree with on virtually every issue. So, the only way you can distinguish yourself very often is on very personal issues. And that can get pretty insulting.”
And as we get closer to the end of primaries, you may see those ads and texts more.
“We’re going to continue to see again and again these negative attacks leading up to the final push. There’re no more debates. There’re very few ways of getting out policy differences. So it’s those personal differences and insults that we’re going to see,” Huffmon said.
Keep up with what’s happening around our area by downloading the WYFF News 4 app on the App Store or Google Play.
Candidates say some go too far.
On Monday, Pamela Evette and Alan Wilson both posted about and condemned texts and Rom Reddy and his race.
“Well, of course, it is to charge the emotion around people. And the more negative emotional charge, you’re more successful. That’s how the misinformation works,” Kabir said.
“The best thing you can do is actual research. Don’t let other candidates do your research for a candidate for you,” Huffmon said.
