Poll: Obama's ads positive, McCain's not

Published: Aug. 7, 2008 at 11:23 AM
Order reprints
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Republicans and Democrats show a degree of agreement concerning U.S. presidential campaign commercials, a Pew Research study indicates.

On balance, members of both major parties said they think Sen. Barack Obama's commercials have been mostly positive, Pew's weekly News Interest Index survey released Thursday indicated. Pluralities of both parties indicated Sen. John McCain's ads were mostly negative.

When asked about specific commercials, those tested for each candidate indicated similar recall levels for specific ads. Forty-one percent said they have seen McCain's commercial that compares Barack Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. Forty-three percent said they had seen Obama's ad when he talks about growing up in Kansas.

By a 76-percent-to-11 percent margin, respondents named Obama, D-Ill., over McCain, R-Ariz., as the candidate they have heard the most about in recent days. That wasn't necessarily a good thing as 48 percent of Pew's respondents said they had been hearing too much about the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee lately.

Results for the weekly surveys are based on telephone interviews with approximately 1,000 adults July 28-Aug.3. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.


© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


Four soldiers receive new German award (20 min)
Monkeys make a break from Scottish zoo (25 min)
Police: S.C. serial killer is dead (45 min)
California credit rating takes a hit (58 min)
Researchers find cancer link to freckles
Bohemian Club seeks timber permit
AG to ask for murder case dismissals
Uganda to outlaw female circumcision
Cops cite a woman after she was singing an expletive-filled N.W.A. song. Talk about a bad rap
Dying teen helped by Make-A-Wish probably didn't wish to die in a rafting accident
Chinese drywall supplies comtaminated. Supplies
Chester Zoo warns visitors to beware the Apes of Wrath
SLED confirms that man killed in NC was SC serial killer. Local gun store owners inconsolable