Maybe, maybe some of the negative ads were lies or exagerated telling.
But liberals (or any loser for that matter) always thought voters based their judgements and choices solely on ads.
"Hey, don't look at me, my past quotes, or my records; Look at how bad the other guy is."
In ‘92 I met Menendez running for Congress in Bayonne , he said he was progressive not a liberal. Dukakis killed term “liberal”. “Liberal” got much play on All in the Family