Oct 13, 2008 7:57 pm US/Eastern
Campaign Blitz Hits South Florida Airwaves
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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John McCain listens to Barack Obama speaking during a townhall-style presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.
AP
It's 22 days until election day, and it seems we can't escape the presidential candidates, With some big races going on locally, it's not just images of John McCain and Barack Obama that voters are being bombarded with.
It's an airwave avalanche, but everyday folks appear to have a pretty fine-tuned 'truth or baloney meter', and the experts remind us to use it in the weeks to come.
"I think they say what we want to hear, and we don't know what they're going to do until they get into office," said one voter.
Healthy skepticism is abundant, with the airwaves buzzing of political ads, and mailboxes stuffed with a appeals.
"My mother always says 'consider the source' and these people are trying to put the best foot forward and paint others in the worst possible light," said FIU political science expert Dario Moreno.
Barack Obama appears to be spending heavily everywhere, and will buy a half hour block of time on several networks later this month to make his case.
McCain, being outspent nationally, is concentrating more of his air campaign in central and north Florida. Too often political ads—whatever their source—are 30 second clips filled with mudslinging, but experts say that approach misjudges the mood of voters.
"I think people are so concerned about the economic issues that mudslinging and negative campaigning is almost counterproductive," said Moreno.
Many voters agree, saying the can't avoid the ads but won't make choices based on them either.
"I don't use them because they bash each other," said FIU student Chris Fanfan. "I want to know who is going to lead our country."
"I really look at the debates on television," said another FIU student, Rene Rodriguez. He says he really doesn't pay much attention to the ads.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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