We can only speculate as to why all the commercials sound alike, with that same deep, oily, taunting, voice urging the opponent to come clean or stand up and tell the truth. The very worst of the ads play upon the fears of good, honest folk whose party loyalty stays firm, even though that party may have changed and become something 180 degrees opposite from what it once was. The us against them polarization of such people is a tragedy for this country. I worry about the fact that our children and grandchildren are demonstrating the dangers this kind of divisive advertising. They are far too young, and far too trusting, to sort out the distortions and exaggerations that are apparent to thinking adults.
Negative commercials offer flat, cartoon-like presentations of complex situations.
A child tends to swallow whole anything that the adults around him or her believe, and while they may exaggerate to make a point, the child doesn t perceive their exaggerations as flawed. Back when Kennedy was shot, the country was appalled to hear that a classroom full of children actually applauded the news. It hit home for me, because I recognized the situation. If parents make nothing but negative statements about a president whose political party differs from theirs, their children learn to regard him as the enemy. My father was a life-long Democrat.