Opposition Research: War By Other Means

Opposition Research Aids Political Wars:

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican Rep. Anne Northup of Kentucky was caught in an uncomfortably close race a few campaigns back, until she plucked the fruits of months-old research that her campaign had compiled into her opponent's record.

The resulting commercial showed Eleanor Jordan in an unflattering moment, standing on the floor of the Kentucky Legislature urging fellow lawmakers to wrap up their work. "I have a fundraiser at 6 o'clock and I want to get out of here,'' Jordan said with an impatient glance at her wristwatch.

Jordan "lost her momentum after that,'' Northup recalled recently - neither the first nor the last candidate to benefit from a political subspecialty known as opposition research...

To some, opposition research is a tedious but important part of politics. To others, it's a black art. Equally available to both parties, even senior Democrats acknowledge that Republicans have excelled in recent years at conducting and using the research...

"We send someone into the district who would go to the library, check (online) or old clips of newspapers. They'd go to the county courthouse and look through tax records, property records, all available public documents, including criminal records,'' said Carl Forti of the House Republican campaign committee.

In other cases, committees or candidates hire outside companies to do the job, saving money on travel costs.

Final reports can be voluminous. Strategy considerations dictate when and how the material is used.

"You're thinking about how you might want to release the information so it's going to have a maximum amount of impact,'' Jones said. The options include mass mailings and television commercials, but in some cases, it's preferable to "get the information into a newspaper. Then you have third party credibility.''

A Web site or blog are other options, on the theory that once information is on the Internet, it may gain wider circulation in the mainstream media.

Key Quote:
Given the scrutiny they can expect, it's wise for candidates to conduct opposition research on themselves.

Update:
Though I'm emphasizing the Republicans mentioned in the article, one can sense the jealousy of the Democratic Party.  Of course, my hope is to help up their skillset for future electoral battles, even if I don't trust Democrats farther than I can kick them.