Democrats leaned in on "weird" and experts say it's working

Salon quotes Jacob Neiheisel in an article about the use of the word “weird” to criticize the Republican presidential and vice presidential candidates. Campaigns regularly try to brand the opposition by latching onto negative symbols or language and shaping it to their ends, Neiheisel said. Previous campaign efforts to brand opposing candidates as "weird" in some way have seemed to work in the past, he explained, pointing to the attack ad against then-Gov. Mike Dukakis, D-Mass., from then-Vice President George H. W. Bush during the 1988 election cycle that tanked the Democratic nominee's campaign as an example. The ad mocked Dukakis' appearance in a combat tank, making him an object of ridicule. "That was probably effective for other reasons, but he looked ridiculous," Neiheisel said.