Does negative political advertising work?

According to these seasoned campaigners, the answer is: yes, stupid.

In short, attack ads work better than positive messages because:

1. People remember them better.

2. People believe them more.

3. As a result of (1) and (2) their impact is more immediate.

I found these three great quotations about negative political advertising in a book called Crowded Airwaves: Campaign Advertising in Elections, that whilst a little old still provides some really interesting insights into the subject.