How do you start a "Whisper" campaign against a candidate?

[Pryderi]

I'm curious, so I can help start one against my local congressman for the '06 election.

"When will he stop molesting children? We have a right to know!"

[sniffa]

1. you just did

:thumbsup:

[longship]

2. Direct mail works well

That's how the Repugs normally do it.

[LizW]

3. I have read that Rove does it in colleges

He likes to start whisper campaigns in big state universities and law schools because then the students go home and spread the rumor around the state.

[salin]

34. I recall that as well...

not sure how to get the whisper started, though - and in a way that it spreads all over (that is that they keep talking about it...)

[iamjoy]

4. Uh, What About Slander/Libel?

Is there a lawyer in the house?

[AllegroRondo]

7. Theres a fine line

you dont want to actually accuse anyone of something they did not do.

But it is perfectly legal to ask "would you vote for candidate XXX if you knew he molested children?"

[iamjoy]

36. Yes, But The Initial Post Was

"when is candidate X going to stop molesting children"

IANAL, but I would think this crosses a line.

OTOH - saying, "Has Candidate X molested children? The search for the truth continues." might be legal. Rovian, but legal.

BTW - the new adjective to describe diabolical political tactics - Rovian.

[BrainRants]

8. If the allegations are true, then your only worry is getting caught.

I'd be more concerned if the allegations were false, obviously you'll want to be as discreet as possible.

If the allegations have merit, then the person you're whispering about will want you silenced (i.e. no press) and will either answer the allegations or come after you in court.

I'm not a lawyer I just know that I'd make sure my tracks were covered pretty well whatever I decided to do.

Good Luck!

[BrainRants]

5. Windshield flyers always generate discussion.

Drop a pack of leaflets at your local supermarket or community bulletin board. They probably won't last long, but depending on the size of your community it could generate the whispers you seek.

Or you could casually stuff them in the hymnals at church, or on the walls in public restrooms around your town.

Covert Ops! It's the little things that count!

[RandomKoolzip]

6. It helps to have funding from Heritage, Olin, AEI, etc. n/t

[Totally Committed]

9. Push-Polling is very effective... (n/t)

TC

[ooglymoogly]

10. first you have to be a pug...then go to any media outlet

and they will be glad to print even the wildest rumor as truth.

[JHBowden]

11. Have everyone in the party disown a book calling someone a lesbian

:+

[NAO]

12. "Some people say"

That way you are not making the allegations, not citing sources, but the information gets propagated.

Watch the excellent DVD "Outfoxed" to see a very eye-opening expose of this technique on Fox News.

[Pryderi]

35. "Some people say, that you've molested children. What do you have to say,

Mr. Davis?"

<img src="">

[seabeyond]

13. f* that shit. i dont want to be a repug.

there is too much honest shit.........to take em down. use those

[derby378]

15. Unfortunately, that didn't work last year

Do you want * impeached by Congress or not?

I know it sucks, but we need to take a hard look at our campaign strategies for next year and do it now. The Repugs will hit us with everything they got in order to "finish the job" begun with their 2002 victories. We had better be prepared to fight for our very lives this time around.

[seabeyond]

16. bullshit. i refuse to sell out in integrity and honesty

for a lie to smear a person, validating all that bush has done and the repugs have done in the last decade. BULLSHIT

that is not who i am, nor is it who i will become for anyone, cause wont work anyway.

i believe bush stole 2000 and 2004 so that doesnt validate it works for bush. bullshit.

and no, i wont smear someone in a lie. period. to even suggest it, BULLSHIT

some ONE has to be more than that. i will explain with an example

the christian religion embraced the most ugly that they are to embrace anothers religion, the most ugly the are. these two religions, a small handful, have created this mess and lie for all to live in because of exactly that

if the dems become repugs, in this behavior, the mess becomes bigger, not smaller

so no, it wont even result in desired success

so no

[derby378]

30. Nobody's asking you to lie

All I'm saying is that we must find more creative ways of using the truth against Repugs. Forget this whole "lying" tangent and let's focus on becoming political streetfighters.

[seabeyond]

31. thank you for the clarification, that is what i was asking, to know

exactly what is being demanded of me, so i am not "nice" or a "pussy"

but i disagree with you that isnt waht some are asking of us. look at the posts below. that is exactly what they are suggesting

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JHBowden]

22. You're also naive.

Do you know how JFK was elected?

[seabeyond]

23. bullshit. now we have another smear, just out of the blue throwing naive

my ass

yes i do. so what. you want to continue on in that. what 4 decades ago. you wnat to clean up election. or you want the competition to be

who can steal the biggest

be clear what you are asking us to be

naive my ass

[JHBowden]

26. I want more Democrats sitting in Congress.

You may be willing to trade the environment, abortion rights, and the economy for a selfish need for moral purity. On top of it, many of these Republicans truly deserve to get smeared -- yet you want to turn the other cheek. Getting screwed over is *not* a moral value.

[seabeyond]

27. done... edit, you dont even kinda get it n/t

[seabeyond]

20. i can kick your ass being honest. you throw garbage at me

for you smear. it is juvenile it lacks in foundation. you lose.

it is the same in talking to a repug. and it is not being "nice" it is saying the truth,.......

[DrGonzoLives]

28. Yeah

Let's just let the GOP do whatever they want and not fight back.

[seabeyond]

29. so if we dont lie and we dont steal, then we are doing nothing

is that your postion. if i dont lie and steal, i am doing nothing to fight back. that is pretty limiting, not much thought. i know a hell of a better way to fight, then saying stupid things like this.

you conclusions are just simply incorrect and not factual a made up story just like repugs. empty and hollow

[bklyncowgirl]

14. Here's a classic

NYC Mayor Ed Koch was running against Mario Cuomo for the Dem nomination for Governor.

One day, all over working class areas of Queens, fliers appeared bearing the following slogan.

VOTE FOR CUOMO NOT THE HOMO

The Cuomo campeign of course denied any connection with the fliers and loudly denounced any attempt to "out" Mayor Koch, stating that the Mayor's private life was his own business.

Koch, a lifelong bachelor, made sure he was seen in public accompanied by former beauty queen Bess Meyerson but still rumors flew.

Cuomo won the election.

[kentuck]

17. Become a Republican?

:shrug:

[quaoar]

21. Whisper campaigns work the other way too

When I was in Mississippi I worked for a Democratic candidate for Congress running against an incumbent Republican.

The incumbent had been arrested at the Iwo Jima Memorial in Washington soliciting gay sex from an undercover agent. But the files were sealed and the details did not come out during the elections.

Some of the incumbent's supporters went around telling people that the incumbent had been arrested for peeing in the park and that the whole thing was blown out of proportion. He got re-elected.

The truth later came out and he resigned but it didn't help my candidate.

[seabeyond]

24. absolutely, 2004, they pressed charges went after the one dude

who got 200 and something votes for kerry to pay for a drug habbit. loud clear across the nation for all to hear what crooks dems are,......not to mention the mis story allegations. while repugs got a free pas going to court, getting ruling on intimidating the voter

you really think dems arent going to have their ass reeemed

talk about naive

[seabeyond]

25. everytime, my husband, father brother kids, friends, say.....they all lie

i can so easily slap that down.

become them., i can no longer stand up for dems in that manner. we lose that

[Mitt Chovick]

32. All you need is an intern and a messy dress

:rofl:

[Pryderi]

33. Americans only pay attention to personal scandal, not issues. I want to

win. I'm sick of the republicans smearing opponents and winning.

The best defense is a good offense.