How effective are political ads??

[UTUSN]

13. Ads mostly preach to choir. Also debates are useless more often than not.

What both are good for is for new candidates who need to get known. And good more in primaries than in the generals. Voters can be clueless, but can also be underestimated. Once the partisan nominees are known, it is almost inconceivable that mature voters can be swayed and undecided. If their world view is formed, they ought to know what THEY and the PARTIES stand for.

In my Red state the big candidate who is supposed to be a shoo-in as the Rethug wingnut has run all touchy-feely ads, never once mentioning all of his Draconian policies to come, talking only about his personal qualities of "courage" and "perseverance" and blah de blah blah.