Expect smears to spatter more with 7 days left (Garofoli / SF Chron)

[struggle4progress]

... "It's consistent with human psychology that people who are behind or feel they have nothing to lose are less risk-averse," said Jack Glaser, an associate professor of public policy at UC Berkeley and an expert on politics and emotion. "So Sen. McCain and his supporters are throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks ...

"Jewish voters are very sensitive to being manipulated by the Holocaust," said Glaser, who is Jewish and whose grandparents were killed in the Holocaust. "And I think these types of attacks will alienate independent voters. From what I've seen, they (the McCain campaign) are just reaching out to their base and making sure it shows up (to vote)."

Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden invoked some of the history of smears Monday when addressing voters in North Carolina. He mentioned attacks against Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy as a "dangerous choice in difficult times" ...

Even if there is an "October surprise" - a last-minute news event or smear that could affect the outcome of the election - a UC Berkeley professor who has researched the topic says it might not have much of an impact. Robb Willer, an assistant professor of sociology and a social psychologist, said voters are likely to see last-minute smears for what they are ...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/28/MNET13P9FC.DTL