The problem with McCain’s negative Ayers campaign is it’s core of dishonesty. In a hyperconnected electorate, it’s too easy to quickly check whether something is true or false. Too often, McCain’s attacks fall in the false spectrum.
For example, Ayers was on the board of the Annenberg Foundation, put there by Walter Annenberg, a former Ambassador and confidante of Ronald Reagan. Other members of the board included CEO’s of major companies, and several conservatives.
On top of this, Ayers was awarded Citizen of the Year in 1997. Citizen of the Year.
Against this backdrop, McCain tries to reduce the board to a dimly lit back room with only Obama and Ayers plotting nefariously. It simply doesn’t wash.
It’s not the negative nature of the ads. It’s that they are so wildly distorted that mainstream America simply cannot accept them. He needs to frame attacks that resonate with more than the tinfoil hat crowd.
