For as long as there have been political ads, ads have catered to the fears of the populace. The ads don't say "This is why you should vote for X candidate" as often as they imply "This is why you SHOULDN'T vote for Y candidate". It goes on today, with candidates using the disagreements they have with their opponents as fodder for ads. If a candidate is for an issue, often times they will emphasize that their opponents are against that issue and the downfalls of their opponent's opinion.
There's a reason for this: negative ads get attention. The best remembered political ads of the past have been those of a negative bias. For instance, the "Daisy" television advertisement was used by Lyndon B. Johnson for his 1964 election campaign, implying that his opponent, Barry Goldwater, was weak on military issues by using a simulated nuclear explosion and a two year old in a field. Pulling at both the fears and heartstrings of voters, the ads said "the stakes are too high to stay home". LBJ ended up winning the election. Today's ads usually aren't that blunt or shocking, but the negative bias is there all the same.
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