lessons from flying mud

Running campaigns these days is a sophisticated science. At some point in the game, the "campaign equations" might tell the candidate, "you've got to go negative." This means to start getting negative information out there about the opponent. Unfortunately this can be quite effective in changing poll numbers in a short period of time. However, you can learn some good info when the mud starts flying.
These episodes give candidates an opportunity to address things that may have not yet been addressed.
They allow the voter to see how low a particular candidate (or their political adviser) is willing to stoop.
They can allow some great opportunites for (hopefully appropriate) counter-attacks (my post from 21 Sept. 2006 can apply to the counter-attack of a reporter, or of the opposing candidate).
You just have to hope that the voters will be discerning enough to know what mud is real, and what is fake.