If television viewers were to believe everything they've seen during commercial breaks over the past few months, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., isn't that different than Paris Hilton, "pals around" with terrorists and teaches sex education to kindergartners. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is inseparable from President George W. Bush, is so out of touch he doesn't know how to use a computer and hasn't a clue how many houses he owns.
Yes, it is undoubtedly election season again, when political junkies and those who couldn't care less are equally bombarded with exaggerations, exploitation of fears and flat out false accusations.
From the days of Lyndon B. Johnson's infamous "Daisy" ad in 1964, which depicted a young girl picking flowers followed by the apocalyptic image of a mushroom cloud, all the way up to an ad earlier this year featuring none other than Chuck Norris stumping for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in the Republican primaries, television ads have played a crucial part in leading -- and misleading -- Americans to the polls.
And the negative ads, whether attacking the opponent's issues or their character, are almost always the ones that gain more notoriety in the short and long term. (Can anyone remember an ad from 2004 that didn't involve either evil wolves or John Kerry windsurfing?)
"If you go too far, there's a backwash effect and people will have a bad taste in their mouths," Frank Dardis, assistant professor of advertising and public relations, said. He added voters often turn on candidates who go too negative.
"There's a lot of research on negative political advertising and how it affects people's psyches in general and their cynicism towards the political system," Dardis said. "The more negative advertising you see, the less and less you tend to trust politics and government."
In one of this election cycle's most talked-about ads, McCain painted Obama as an international superstar unfit to lead while flashing his picture alongside socialites Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.
"That's the kind of thing that usually turns the middle ground against the person who's running it," Dardis said of the ad that began airing in August after Obama's weeklong trip overseas. "But the people who it was aimed for probably loved it and were persuaded by it."
But Michael Elavsky, associate professor in media studies, disagrees.
"It was definitely effective," Elavsky said, citing the "pop culture media" that we live in. "He's a celebrity, and you certainly have to say there's a hint of truth in it. Is it negative? Yeah, but we're obsessed with [celebrities] nationally."
Other notable ads this season include an Obama ad displaying the words "the same" over pictures of President Bush and McCain together, emphasizing their similar voting record; a McCain ad accusing Obama of denying funding to troops in battle overseas; and an Obama ad stressing McCain's claim the "fundamentals of the economy are strong" repeatedly as if it were a broken record.
Third-party groups, such as "Swift Boat Veterans For Truth," and the liberal MoveOn.org that some say in 2004 put the final nail in the coffin of John Kerry's candidacy, also buy ad spots to push their own, often separate, agendas.
One extreme example of this is an ad from a Republican organization that explicitly attempted to affiliate Obama with Bill Ayers, a former leader of '70s radical group Weather Underground. (The theme was recently reprised by the McCain campaign itself, though significantly toned down.)
Regardless of their association with their party's -- or cause's -- candidates, Elavsky said most viewers likely don't know the difference.
"I don't want to denigrate the American public, but most people just hear the words," he said. "That was what was so astounding about 'Swift Boat For Truth.' You had President Bush, who wasn't as decorated a veteran as Kerry, but he presented himself much better."
In some cases, rather than the ad itself gaining notoriety, a line or image -- such as 1988 Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis posing awkwardly in a tank -- will resonate.
"If you can get a term out of it, like 'flip-flopper' for Kerry, it takes off in one ad and then people start to talk about it," Elavsky said. "If you get that one catchphrase, it still echoes."
Though the basic framework and themes of political ads have barely changed since the invention of TV, the media's 24/7 coverage of politics on cable networks like CNN and Fox News, as well as political Web sites have given ads a whole new outlet.
Networks repeat the ads -- free of charge to the campaigns -- all day on programs such as Hardball with Chris Matthews and The Situation Room, while pundits analyze their legitimacy and effectiveness. The ads can also be viewed by millions in any market for free on Web sites such as YouTube and Politico.
Dardis said ads can get far more exposure "with the YouTube and Facebook generation," than they would have 40 years ago. He referenced the viral marketing -- friends sending videos or Web sites -- that has swept from film and music right into politics thanks to the Internet.
"It lives on forever," he said.
Still, the power of TV cannot be underestimated -- Obama recently spent nearly $2 million on a half-hour ad set to air in primetime on NBC and CBS on Oct. 29, according to Yahoo News, and candidates often connect to voters by tailor-making ads for certain markets.
For example, Obama has shown one ad in central Pennsylvania that features a National Rifle Association member praising the Democrat's stance on gun rights and then cuts to Obama walking through grass with a farmer -- two scenes that will surely capture the attention of rural Pennsylvania voters. Another September ad references Corning Inc., a State College factory that closed in 2004, and blames Republicans like McCain for outsourcing American jobs.
McCain has not been as state-specific in his local advertising, which may be contributing to his current 13.6 point deficit in RealClearPolitics' recent average of state polls of Pennsylvania, as of Oct. 19.
As Nov. 4 nears, Elavsky said he expects the attacks will intensify and, as usual, neither candidate will want to be viewed as the one who went too negative.
"I'm expecting it definitely to worsen, and both McCain and Obama will offer a different perspective on trying to take the high ground," he said of the final, post-conventions, stage of the election. "The gloves are off on both sides."
