A few weeks ago, I read a fascinating article titled “Bernie Sanders’ Refusal to Attack Hillary Clinton Isn’t Just Principled — It’s Political Genius.”

It caught my eye partly because the author did an outstanding job of explaining why Bernie’s campaign might see not only moral but strategic value in refusing to run negative ads. It also caught my attention because the piece was written by a (very thoughtful and articulate) college student.

Marc Daalder is a sophomore at Amherst College in Massachusetts, and a regular contributor to In These Times. Here’s my conversation with Marc — plus a few examples of negative political advertising, just to remind you how noxious it can be.