Expert weighs in on Indiana Senate negative campaign ads

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Some Indiana voters feel like the Senate race between Richard Mourdock and Joe Donnelly is becoming downright nasty. Negative campaign ad after negative campaign ad.

"I don't pay attention to it. It doesn't make sense to me. They just keep attacking each other back and forth for no apparent reason," voter China Henderson said.

Some voters are beginning to question when it's all going to stop.

"Voters get brow beaten with negative campaign ads constantly telling us what another candidate's doing wrong. However if you want to connect with me as a voter you have to openly be willing to be the bigger person," voter Jacob Isaacs said to Richard Mourdock , Joe Donnelly, and Andrew Horning.

Political expert, Andy Downs, said not any time soon. After all studies show the ads are effective.

"If it didn't work they wouldn't keep on doing it. So, that's what I always tell people. We're kind of to blame here for it. If we didn't fall for it they'd stop using it," Downs said.

With such a close race Downs said the negative campaign ads actually help some candidates.

"Negative campaigning typically doesn't turn somebody from one candidate to another but it draws somebody away from a candidate and so you've reduced their total vote. You haven't increased yours by one but you've decreased theirs by one."

If one candidate has a clear lead over the others, generally Downs said we don't see negative campaign ads.

"If you're up by an awful lot there's no reason to even acknowledge your opponent. You minimize them as much as possible so they get as little air time as possible."

Campaigns have a fine line to walk when airing negative campaign ads. Downs said if that's all one side is airing it can actually hurt the candidate.