Dirty Tricks Targeting Dean. Who's responsible for this stuff?

[seventhson]

Poll question: Dirty Tricks Targeting Dean. Who's responsible for this stuff?

The reports are pretty nasty that folks are sending lots of things out falsely about Dean and pretending to be from his campaign: homophobic, antisemitic and just plain nasty efforts.

Here is the link to the Reuters story about this:

http://news.myway.com/top/article/id/377343|top|01-26-2004::12:07|reuters.html

(Cut and paste link, direct link is NOT working- sorry)

After I posted the topic on Kerry's alleged dirty tricks in a past campaign you all know how I feel.

But my level headed wife asked me whether it might be someone else.

I suppose it could be anybody.

But what do you think?

I am putting these in MY order of suspicion. You can do the same in your response.

[AP]

1. Dean does lots of things I've seen Republicans do before.

Remember the story about Rove's bug?

[AP]

4. By the way, Dean was burying himself last Monday. The other candidates

only needed to ignore him. However, he's spent a week diverting people's attention from his loss, and getting people to focus on his personality, and making people feel sorry for him, and has been having some success.

So does it make more sense that other campaigns would try this shit when they didn't need to? Or does it make sense for Dean to invent shit like this to further explore the theme of victim-hood at the hands of bad people (which is a tactic Rove has used in the past).

Also, the timing of this -- coinciding with the 30 year old story about Kerry -- should be a big clue about who this story is aimed at and who is benefiting.

[lurk_no_more]

37. Bingo!

The victim card works everytime....don't forget to donate!


And then there were none!
” JAFO”

[jpgray]

2. Too difficult to tell

I'd really hate for it to be an opposing Dem, and I'd really hate for it to be a Rovish Dean move. I don't believe it is from Kerry or Dean, or at least I *really* hope it isn't--that is one thing that could get me to withdraw support.

My guess is Bush, or some unsanctioned radical group of one of the Dem campaigns.

[cprise]

5. All those Fundies he pissed off next door in VT

.

[JasonDeter]

3. How about it doesn't matter? This is American Democracy at work.

Throw out all the mud and see what sticks? See if the candidate can take it? See if they have the temperment to stand up to the onslaught that will be aimed squarely at the Democratic candidate in the general from the scum called bush* and the republicans. Of course bush* will stay above the fray (sic) and get away with it. Meaning he won't disavow any of the dirty tricks.

[Mike Niendorff]

6. who else?

Seriously, if these claims do pan out, then the obvious suspect in my book would be the Bush machine.

Their reasons would be : (1) to generate as much distrust and infighting among the Democratic candidates as possible, thereby further dividing the opposition against itself, and (2) generating negative associations in the mind of the broader public w/r/t the overall Democratic campaign.


MDN

[seventhson]

7. VERY INTERESTING RESULTS so far

almost 50% of people voting so far say they believe Dean is sabotaging his own campaign by making himself look bad.

Very telling result.

Thanks for voting.

[AP]

10. I suspect people who pick that option believe that the people

who received this calls and complained are the ONLY people who received these calls. No?

[Cheswick2.0]

25. that has to be the dumbest vote

How could anyone think Dean would do that? Anyone with a brain would know the damage done wouldn't be worth the benefit.

[progressivebydesign]

26. Yes, very telling indeed..

Tells me that there are actually people in DU would say anything to take Dean down. Today has been a particularly bad day for Dean here... though I want him to win, it was nice for a few days when people thought he was fading, they left him alone. The roving attacks have started back in earnest today on Dean, and on a few others.

I really hope that people continue to post good things about their candidates, rather than attack other candidates. We're getting to the point where the field will start to narrow. We all need to know more about the other candidates just in case our candidate of choice doesn't make the cut. Tell me what is GOOD about your candidate, fellow DUers, don't harp on petty attacks on everyone else running against your candidate. I'm ABB.. help me out!!!

[seventhson]

8. NOBODY THINKS EDWARDS IS DOING THIS????

Neither do I.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

28. Apparently he has every fooled.

Even me.

[Metrix]

9. Why are LaRouche supporters not a choice?

.

[seventhson]

19. Good question. Answer: It is too late to edit poll. Write it in.

I woulda included it - LaRouche is very interesting but i believe he is a BFEE disinformationist of the blackops variety.

[xultar]

11. I know it aint the Clark campaign cuz our votes are being split

by Kerry.

[RogueTrooper]

12. The Clark Campaign is most likely

They employee Chris Lehane, and he has prior form for this sort of behaviour.

[maddezmom]

14. Lehane is slime

and I hate the fact he's working on Clark's campaign, but I doubt you assertion. Sorry you'll have to give me some proof, before I'll buy that line.

[TexasSissy]

22. No. Kerry is the one competing w/Dean in NH. Clark is

competing with Edwards & Lieberman for third place. Not brain surgery here to figure out who has the most to gain.

[IndianaGreen]

31. The Clark campaign is also being victimized by the Kerry campaign

Kerry has a track record of dirty tricks, going back to the time his brother Cameron was busted for breaking and entering into an opponent's campaign office and culminating in the extremely dirty 1996 reelection campaign against Bill Weld.

The break-in story was posted here yesterday

[Piperay]

13. Definitely NOT Clark...

he is being hurt by Dean's drop and Kerry's rise. I would say look toward the one who is gaining from Dean's drop. :think:

[ShaneGR]

15. I don't know, but I know it's not the Edwards campaign

They're too busy watching everyone destroy themselves, no need to get in between.

[emulatorloo]

16. Repubs, not Kerry or Dean - Trick is aimed at both Kerry and Dean

I think the tricks are aimed at Dean AND Kerry.

Aimed at Dean, pretty obvious.

Aimed at Kerry too: I think that it is so HAM-FISTED that it is designed to anger the person called. So the person called is to think, that damn Kerry he is push polling and he is homophophic and anti-semitic!

Intentionally Ham Fisted and OTT --

So I think it is repubs stirring the pot.

OH YEAH, I forgot Club for Growth. . .

Whoever it is it stinks!

ON Edit clarify

[TexasSissy]

17. I can assure you it's not the Clark campaign. Lehane was demoted

recently. Clark is an honest, positive person who has generally not attacked opponents unfairly, except in one or two novice screwup statements. He would never allow it.

Kerry's campaign, however, was doing something similar to Clark, so.....???????

Clark has a life after this race, folks, and he's not in a race with Dean in NH. Kerry is vying with Dean for first place, and his political future hinges on winning the nomination.

Not hard to figure out who it is.

[TexasSissy]

18. I should've said I've HEARD that Lehane was demoted. Not

for doing anything unethical. Just for being ineffectual at what he was doing. But he's doing other things, and I'm sure he's doing those well.

Just what I heard. Don't kow if it's true.

[maddezmom]

20. thanks for the heads up on Lehane

I'm sure he serves a purpose, but hate him as a front man in the media.

[hedda_foil]

21. I couldn't vote because I think it's a combination.

Kerry's team seems to be repeating the negative push polling they used in Iowa (which was captured on videotape and which was widely reported by voters). The robocalls sound more like classic Rove.

[TexasSissy]

23. Is anyone sure these things happened? Have the flyers been

given to the media or anything? Dean's been known to misspeak before.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

27. Very diplomatic of you

to use the word 'misspeak'.

:thumbsup: for civility

[NoPasaran]

24. I blame the GOP

When we fight amongst ourselves, who gains?
When Democrats distrust other Democrats, who gains?
If we cannot all unite around our nominee, who gains?

[Cocoa]

29. Joe Trippi blames the RNC too

Tweety was trying to get him to blame other dems, but Trippi kept saying it was the republicans. He was laughing at Tweety for trying to divide the dems.

[seventhson]

30. I voted Kerry

but it could be a combination

[seventhson]

32. WOW 55% Think its Kerry/Only 10% think its Bush or Clark. DEAN 26%

One quarter of the folks here think Dean is slamming himself to gain PITY???

To Blame someone else for playing dirty tricks on him?

25% of Duers in this poll think Dean would do this.

55% of DUers think it is Kerry.


VERY TELLING VOTE!


Only 5% think it is the BFEE.

even less think it is Clark.

and NOBODY thinks it is Edwards.

Learn a LOT from these polls.

Thanks.

[sistersofmercy]

33. Why can't it be a few renegade supporters from various campaigns?

Only the unthinking would assume automatically that it has to Kerry, the frontrunner. The smear stuff is definitely a turn off, true criticism about policy difference is not.

[AntiCoup2K4]

34. As of this writing, there are 33 very delusional people in this poll

You people really need a psychological evaluation if you think Dean's playing dirty tricks on himself :eyes:

Now as for the reality, is it ALL Kerry? Judging from the attacks the last few months which have clearly come from the DLC and involving all of their candidates, I would say it's not ALL him. But he's definitely involved.

And naturally the Pukes could have started their own attacks i.e. Club for Growth.

[seventhson]

36. Yeah

The repukes want one of their own to win so they attack Dean

[markus]

35. One last time, then I give up: it's not Dems, its GOP FUD

Folks, I've been doing this for love or money for night about 20 years.

These tactics are straight Lee Attwater, and Karl Rove think's he is St Paul to Atwater's Christ.

They are spreading Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt and laughing their asses off as Democrats accuse each other.

So, unless you have some evidence that one Democratic campaign is push polling with scurrilous scripts, etc., please back down and ask the big question:

Why the sudden surge in big name GOPers into the state?