Campaigning on fear is not new technique and has been used extremely effectively as a campaign strategy by many special interest groups.

"Despite the lowest unemployment rate in over 30 years,"

It is not possible to compare the current rate of employment between today and 30 years ago, because the government has changed the way that unemployment is measured.

The only time it is possible to compare the rates of employment is when the same calculation methods are used.

Writers title this as "artistic licence" a euphemism for telling "porkies."

The negative campaigning is due to the fact that there's no real difference to the parties. When the issues that matter can't be debated because there's no real difference of opinion then the only option is to distract voters from that fact and attack character. And, of course, the media is all too willing to play along and get sucked into the stupid game rather than ask questions that matter.

It's all very laughable since, as far as I'm aware, people generally think all politicians are liars; what's it matter who's the bigger liar?

I find reason to fear the lies more than fear, can anyone truly think that both party's are the same?
And just how many who vote do not have an understanding of the issues?
Yes some will fall for the fear tactics and some for the lie but most are no less able to think clearly than you or me.
And that old lie both party's are alike.
It surely is clear that each is trying to sell its product to voters?
And equally clear that they must have a product voters want to buy?
Then the fence around our leading party's is put in place by the voters not the party's.
We see true minority party's that will forever be just that get all upset with this and make claims that are untrue.
Labor and Liberal have far different policy's but must maintain contact with the voters or drift into small party never to be elected land.
Just look at workchoices as an example.

JamesH is right: "Campaigning on fear is not new technique and has been used extremely effectively as a campaign strategy by many special interest groups." And over many years - 'the yellow peril' comes to mind; so too do 'reds under beds', nationalisation of the banks, native title will steal your suburban house, and more.

Alan Renouf used the term, "Frightened Australia" as the title of a 1979 book. He argued that Australians have always been frightened of someone or something. And the fear was not always based on rational analysis of the threat.

Interestingly, in the context of the forthcoming election, a 2006 poll showed that more Austrralians are afraid of global warming than Islamic fundamentalism - climate change is perceived as a greater threat than international terrorism. Little wonder the pollies on both sides have been changing gear - and grating the gearbox.

Patrick Baume's article, however, is glib - the sort of fluff you'd expect from one who confesses to being a member of the Liberal Party for one year when he was 18, but never attended a meeting. And works in PR.

A much more insightful analysis can be found in Peter Harcher's monograph, "Bipolar Nation: How to Win the 2007 Election (Quarterly Essay, 25, 2007). A condensed version was on OLO on 23/3/2007.

Reverting to a personal attack eh, Frank? No chance you're a longstanding member of a political party, is there?

Thanks for proving my point.

Patrick.

I must say your regurgitation of conventional wisdom re Liberal and Labor is a little slip-shod.

I think that you will find the the Labor advertising in NSW did have some positive ads and that they were not focussing "entirely" on negatives, the same cannot be said for the Libs.

" The government has plenty of economic positives " shows that you must believe the media you analyse. What Govt. policies have given us the "Best Ever" scenario we now have. Not the GST, not Workchoices, not Tax non-reform, I can't think of one.

How about 53% of people say they are worse off under workchoices, Wages as a share of GDP the lowest in over 30 years, I could go on.

I suggest this piece from your blog is a staggeringly lazy approach to analysis.

It is in the Liberal Parties best interest not to run a scare campaign, only because they are the party who we should be scared of.