| Sumario: | Contrary to popular wisdom, the writer argues that negative campaigning is a necessary and legitimate part of any election and that American politics and the growing movement to reform election campaigns will be a great deal better off when this fact is acknowledged. He discusses the value of negative campaigning, the need for far greater care and clarity in thinking and writing about negative campaigning, the relevance of candidate character and behavior, the role of the media, and what restrictions on negative campaigning would mean for American politics. He concludes that the attempt to stamp out negative campaigning deals a double blow to any effort to improve the quality of future American election campaigns: It attempts to deny the voters significant information that is relevant to their decisions and helps to divert attention from the many serious problems that genuinely afflict campaigns.
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