The Little Ad That Could

Powerline links to an interesting article by David Frum, analyzing the surprising effectiveness of the SBVFT ads. I think the most important part of Frum's analysis, and the real reason that the ads were so effective is:

The vast majority of Americans had never heard of John Kerry until this year. So when he explained to them that he was born in a conservative western state to a military family; that he served in the forces himself and went on to a career punishing criminals--all these things created a certain image in their mind. When later evidence emerged to challenge that image, it didn't just affect the public perception of Kerry's past: The discovery that John Kerry hasn't been candid about his personal history has inevitably caused voters to wonder whether Kerry can be trusted in the future.