A study on Political Advertising in 2016 found:
-Clinton spent about twice what Trump spent on the campaign.
-Only 25 percent of advertising supporting the Clinton campaign went after Trump on policy grounds.
-When it comes to attack ads, about 90 percent of Clinton's ads went after Trump personally, while only 10 percent went after his policy. By contrast, about 70 percent of Trump's attack ads contained policy discussion.
Hillary Clinton, a disciple of Saul Alinksy, decided to employ Alinksy's tactics as laid out in "Rules for Radicals."
The Alinsky rules which Clinton attempted to utilize include, but are not limited to:
-"Ridicule is man's most potent weapon." There is not defense. It's irrational. It's infuriating. (example: Clinton's continuous attacks on Trump's personality rather than his policies.)
-"A good tactic is one your people enjoy." They'll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. (example: Clinton's mocking of Trump "living in his own reality." Clinton supporters continue to use this attack to this day.)
-"A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag." Don't become old news. (example: Clinton sitting on information and releasing it strategically throughout the campaign. The October Surprise strategy.)
-"Keep the pressure on. Never let up." Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. (Example: introducing new attacks on the live debate stage, putting Trump on the spot. Bringing up during live debate derogatory comments Trump supposedly made about the former Miss Universe.)
-"The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself." Imagination and ego can dream up many more consequences than any activist. (example: Clinton's repeated fear mongering of Trump's "finger on the nuclear button." Insinuations that Trump is a racist who hates minorities and who wants to take away rights from Americans who are not straight and white.)
-"Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is self explanatory, as it seems to be the overall strategy of the Clinton campaign.)
Overall, Clinton's strategy was to attack Trump personally, while Trump's strategy was to focus on his policies and to criticize the policies of Clinton. Ad hominem lost, as it always should.
Based on analysis found here:
http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/3/8/14848636/hillary-clinton-tv-ads