Are we negative voters?

In what became a rather shouty interview on the Today programme this morning, the Lib Dems' home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said Nick Clegg's surge in support this week is partly a result of the negative way people have typically chosen how to vote:

"For many years now we've had indications in the polls that the support for Labour and the Conservatives is much more fragmented, much more negative, for example, nearly half of Conservative supporters don't actually like the Conservatives, they simply vote Conservative to keep Labour out, and similarly a very substantial proportion of Labour people vote Labour to keep the Tories out." 

Mark Steel made a similar point in yesterday's Independent:

"For several years, and especially since the Iraq war, many Labour voters haven't really voted for 'Labour' but for 'Oh blimey, pwww, Labour I suppose'."

So do we get the campaigning we deserve? I'm not so sure. Politicians have a chance to set the tone by offering something to believe in, and for the most part in recent times, they've failed.