YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Power Players

    A brief history of Obama going negative

    Political Punch

    This election cycle's barrage of negative campaigning has gotten a lot of attention lately. This week, Political Punch takes a slightly deeper plunge into the slime.

    "All those negative ads don't matter. When you come together, you cannot be stopped," President Obama told supporters at a campaign event in Jacksonville, Florida.

    And while it is true that Obama faces a battery of negative ads from independent groups funded by unknown individuals, and it's also true that Mitt Romney is a relentless negative campaigner, the president is not so innocent on this charge, either.

    A recent study of a 2-week period ending in July found that about 89 percent of Obama's ads carried an anti-Romney message and 94 percent of Romney's ads an anti-Obama message; 2012 is on pace to become the most negative campaign cycle ever.

    But just how far back does Obama's negative campaigning go? And how down and dirty were the ads of 2008 compared with today's? Check out this week's Political Punch to find out.

    Loading...

    More from ABC News

    • Cycling-Road-Giro d'Italia points classification after stage 18

      May 23 (Infostrada Sports) - Points Classification Giro d'Italia after Stage 18 on Thursday 1. Mark Cavendish (Britain / Omega Pharma - Quick-Step) 113 2. Cadel Evans (Australia / BMC Racing) 109 3. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy / Astana) 103 4. Carlos Betancur (Colombia / AG2R) 94 5. Mauro Santambrogio (Italy / Vini Fantini) 89 6. Giovanni Visconti (Italy / Movistar) 86 7. Rigoberto Uran (Colombia / Team Sky) 86 8. Elia Viviani (Italy / Cannondale) 72 9. Ramunas Navardauskas (Lithuania / Garmin) 65 10. Giacomo Nizzolo (Italy / RadioShack) 61

    • Police recover backpacks of 2 kidnapped Iowa girls

      DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Investigators searching for a 15-year-old Iowa girl who was abducted this week have recovered her backpack along with one belonging to a 12-year-old who escaped from the kidnapper.

    • Dog Found Standing Guard Over a Tornado Victim Reunited With Her Owner

      There's a happy ending to the story of a dog, found alive in the rubble after a massive tornado devastated Moore, Oklahoma: she's been reunited with her owner.

    • The Gruesome Details of London's Horrifying Machete Attack

      An attack in broad daylight in London on Wednesday is drawing a swift response — and a possible terror link — from the highest authorities. Reports suggest two men chased down another man with their car before getting out, attacking him with a machete, and dragging him through the city streets. 

    • No Wonder Republican Criticism of Obama Isn’t Working

      Henny Youngman, the late borscht belt comedian, told hundreds of politically incorrect jokes. One of them was his response when asked, “How’s your wife?” “Compared to what?” he’d say.

    • John McCain Is the Latest Senior Senator to Have Had Enough of Junior Ted Cruz

      For two days John McCain and Ted Cruz have been fighting on the Senate floor over the rules for negotiating a budget, but, like so many fights, it's also about so much more. Cruz is being annoying about the budget, but worse, he just doesn't get the Senate. 

    • Olazabal urges Woods and Garcia to settle row

      By Tony Jimenez VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Former European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal drew on the memory of his 2003 spat with Padraig Harrington as he urged fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods to settle their differences. Garcia and 14-times major winner Woods have always had a frosty relationship and the Spaniard had to issue an apology on Wednesday after making a "fried chicken" jibe at the world number one at the European Tour's Player of the Year dinner the previous day. ...

    • 6 Fascinating Spy Gadgets You’ll Probably Want (and Can Have) After Seeing

      "Most people don't really know products like this exist..."

    Blog Authors / Profiles

    Loading...