The best and worst campaign ads of the 2014 general election

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The 2014 campaign brought us more than its share of ads. Most are quite forgettable, but plenty were notable in one way or another. Some managed to present an interesting and compelling case for their side and others were... well, flat-out terrible.

In late August I featured five effective ads and five ineffective commercials. What follows is a look at spots from the post-Labor Day period. However, I'd be remiss if I didn't once again acknowledge two notable Republican ads from the spring: Joni Ernst's now legendary "Squeal" spot in Iowa, and Terri Lynn Land's terrible "Really" commercial in Michigan.

There are plenty of great and terrible ads that didn't get included in the main list. These 10 spots were chosen because each offers a lesson in political messaging, and they are worth learning from. Plenty of losing campaigns aired good ads, while the winning side often came up with a few stinkers, proving ads are an important part of any campaign's strategy, but they aren't the only part.

We'll start with the above spot below the fold, a very strange ad from Louisiana ....