In the closing days of the campaign, the tone gets nastier and the tactics shadier. Already, Democrats are howling about a GOP TV ad asking liberals to cast their votes for Nader. Republicans are outraged at Democratic telephone calls in Michigan featuring a Texas woman who suggests that her husband's death was due in part to Bush's failure to improve substandard Texas nursing homes. Both sides say they're shocked, absolutely shocked, at the desperation tactics. But Bush and Gore must be careful.
Independent voters are especially upset by what they deem as unfair personal attacks.
Small things become terribly significant. With independents particularly volatile this year, an over-aggressive tactic could blow up in a candidate's face. The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved. The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.