Editing Attack ad (section)

== Front groups ==
Campaigns often establish or support [[front groups]] (organizations that appear to be independent [[voluntary association]]s or [[Charity organization|charity]]) to run counter-attack ads. This technique ties into the wider practice of [[astroturfing]]. Former political [[speechwriter]] [[Leonard Steinhorn]] points out that "issue ads" run by front groups use deceptive names to hide their true sponsors – such as the pharmaceutical industry-backed [[United Seniors Association]], which spent $17 million on ads during the [[2000 United States presidential election|2000 US presidential election]].<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Leonard Steinhorn|author=Steinhorn, Leonard|year=2004|chapter=Ads Are Us: Political Advertising in a Mass Media Culture|title=Campaigns and Elections American Style|editor1-first=James A.|editor1-last=Thurber|editor2-first=Candice J.|editor2-last=Nelson|location=Boulder|publisher=Westview Press|page=[https://archive.org/details/campaignselectio00/page/121 121]|isbn=9780813341811|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/campaignselectio00|url=https://archive.org/details/campaignselectio00/page/121}}</ref> As front ads are not controlled by the candidates they support, the candidates are insulated from criticism.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mayer |first1=Robert N. |title=Winning the War of Words: The "Front Group" Label in Contemporary Consumer Politics: Winning the War of Words |journal=The Journal of American Culture |date=23 February 2007 |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=96–109 |doi=10.1111/j.1542-734X.2007.00467.x }}</ref>