Why do poltical candidates like mud?

Question

Why is it that political candidates seem to rely more on Muck-Raking campaign commercials rather than legitimate reasons why I should vote for them? We've all seen the commercials where candidate A didn't fund schools and spent the money on pay raises, or candidate B failed to reduce taxes and spent the money on liquor and cheap hookers. And we all know that candidate A/B totally approved of the message.

Why can't candidates give me good enough reasons to vote for them?

Answer 1

I think there are several reasons why we end up having to search through the muck every election year to find a candidate worth voting for.
#1. The media isn't doing their job or there would not be mud to sling. The 'mud' they bring out at election time would have already been reported as it happened----no matter which political party the offender belonged to.

#2. We have known what kind of cr*p goes on with the politicians all the time----and we ignore it or tolerate it. Our Congressmen, Senators and Representitives and all the way down to mayors, should have monthly, or at least quarterly report periods (like report cards). By electronic voting, if Americans did not like the way they were conducting themselves, or thought they were not acting in our best interests, we could grade them. So many failing grades (even in citizenship) and they would be out. We're paying their wages. Hold them accountable ALL the time--not just during an election!!

#3. Number 2 would never work because the majority of American citizens are more interested in watching trash being flung during elections than they are in being involved in getting rid of crooked, immoral, self-serving politians. How many people do you know that would miss an episode of "Survivor" to watch a report on what their elected officials are up to? They form their opinions by listening to sound-bites, or from a bias news media and feel they are informed enough to vote for our countries leaders, usually with comments about 'voting for the lessor of two evils'. That's why the mud slinging. The politicians know that they only have to throw out 30 seconds worth of mud, because it's all the longer people will pay attention, and catches the interest like 'Enquirer' scandel sheets do at a check-out stand at the grocery store.

Personally, I guess the one that gets me the worse is people who say, "I didn't vote because there was nobody worth voting for".

Who's fault is that?!!!!

Answer 2

I try to do that...(play nice)... but it's hard.

For instance... there was a question on here where the person asked - "How do I keep track of what Hillary's current politics are?"

I assumed that the person was not being sarcastic and I answered with EXACTLY what her current stance is on the major issues.

I got like 5 thumbs down and 0 thumbs up because people assumed that I was her number one fan and didn't want anyone to actually answer a question about her... the question was only asked as if to indicate that she "flip-flops" too much to be taken seriously.

So I think the people actually encourage their leaders to behave the same way... I don't think the politicians would do it if it didn't work.

Unfortunately, we get some of the best candidates and some of the worst and the worst fare much better in a mud-slinging contest.

But ignorant people are often very angry people... I don't know why but ignorance and anger seem to go hand in hand.

Answer 3

I would think because few have a clean conscience in our government. So they can't boast on that. The alternative then is to mud-sling the other party.
These self-centered people allow greed and personal desires to define and govern their lives, any interest they show in others is likely to be selfish. Only things that benefit them.
What reason could they give you? Their honest,ungreedy life? I think not. So the next thing is to convince you the other person is all wrong for you. And they have become very good at it, seems people do listen to these sick people. Without looking at their motives. Its a fool's world. And fools buy into it.

Answer 4

Sometimes i wonder if politicians resort to dirty smear campaign tactics in order to draw attention away from their own under developed (or non-existent) policies.

It's easier to try and discredit the opposition, but more to the point: people don't elect a new government or leader, they vote for the alternate candidate because they want the current leader/government OUT.

So it's tactically strong to throw mud at the leader/government, it gives voters a reason to vote for someone else.

Answer 5

Whether we like it or not, it's what works and it's what wins elections.

We could help the cause a great deal if we became better informed and more of us voted, but I guess that's asking too much of a society that seems far more concerned with who is winning on American Idol than who is running for Congress from their districts.

Go figure.