Mooney started putting TV ads on the air attacking McKinley for being one of 13 Republicans in the House of Representatives to vote for the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in November.
Capitol by supporters of former president Donald Trump to stop the certification of the 2020 election for Biden, a former vice president and U.S.
But in one McKinley campaign ad, it claims Mooney is under “federal investigation” despite the fact it is not clear that there are any federal criminal investigations of Mooney beyond the congressional investigation.
“Mooney, an opportunistic career politician who has never had a job outside of politics,” the announcer on one ad says.
A look at both YouTube accounts for the McKinley and Mooney campaigns show no ads where both candidates introduce themselves to voters, explain their backgrounds and qualifications, and ask for the votes of new constituents in the combined district who have never seen McKinley or Mooney’s name on a ballot.
Scott Widmeyer, the founding managing partner of FINN Partners in Washington D.C., is the co-founder of the Bonnie and Bill Stubblefield Institute for Civil Political Communications at Shepherd University at Shepherdstown, W.Va.
According to the Wesleyan Media Project which tracks political advertising, the volume of ads between the 2010 and 2018 federal races increased, with the vast majority of ads being attack ads.
They said a negative message, or “loss frame,” hangs out in the brain longer than a positive message, or “gain frame,” with it being harder to counter a negative message with a positive message.
A 2021 study by researchers at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University found the tone of an ad makes a huge difference in driving turnout.
“I don’t think the public in general likes the idea of these attack ads,” Widmeyer said.
Widmeyer said the Stubblefield Institute tried inviting both McKinley and Mooney to participate in a town hall-style debate, but only McKinley agreed.
Widmeyer said both McKinley and Mooney are likely showing voters a better side of themselves at campaign events, visits with local officials, and while in the view of the public.
Despite the attacks, Widmeyer said most voters would be surprised to know there is little daylight between McKinley and Mooney.
“There are a lot of reasons that this has built up over the years and it’s even more disconcerting in West Virginia right now because the state is going through a loss of population, and we’ve lost a congressional seat.