Negative ads will never go away. JFK’s campaign adviser figured out that making people change their vote was a 2 step process, first you get them to not vote for the other guy, then you get them to vote for yours, and he further figured out that if you do step 1 well enough you don’t actually need to do step 2. It’s a lot easier to scare voters away from your opponent, and once enough people are not voting for him you win.
And that makes the article’s point! A fair and evenhanded (and I know most of you believe that’s impossible) supression of negative ads (by media boycott—not by unconstitutional gov’t fiat) would get rid of all that, and actually force voters to concentrate on ... get ready ... issues!