Televised campaign ads were crucial in winning over undecided voters in the 2016 presidential election, research by the Wesleyan Media Project found.
The Connecticut-based institution found that 58 percent of the people surveyed in 10 battleground states cast their vote for a candidate based on a TV ad, versus 6 percent who voted based on something they saw on social media, USA Today reported Thursday.
While Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton conducted a substantial air war, the bombs she dropped on opponent Donald Trump failed to do damage for two key reasons, researchers found.
For one, Mrs. Clinton ran her ads late in the game in states such as Wisconsin and Michigan, traditionally safe Democratic states that Mr. Trump ended up winning. Secondly, the former first lady failed to connect with voters by positively explaining her policy agenda.
“It’s not enough to simply tell people to vote against someone else,” Wesleyan University professor and study co-author Erika Franklin Fowler said, USA Today reported. “You do need to tell people to vote for you.
“Clinton’s advantages should have really benefited her, but there are clearly some strategic mistakes that were made,” she added.
• Ken Shepherd can be reached at kshepherd@washingtontimes.com.
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