For the most part, mudslinging tends to be made up stories or exaggerated facts. Mudslinging does not help us make better or more informed decisions. Finally, I am not saying the ads were not effective in what they were trying to accomplish. After all, the ads are there to collect votes. Inspiring a voters biased emotions is the best way to do it.
Commercials do help the voter decide who to vote for.
The ability for voters to become aware of candidates running for office is very effective. Campaign commercials are more into agenda setting where the candidates decide which are the issues voters should think about. So, it does benefit the voter to make a decision of what issues they concentrate on and look for in a candidate. It is all about propaganda - not real change and growth. Unfortunately, I believe that the negative ads make me want to support the candidate who doesn't do them.