socialmedian: Last Minute Dirty Tricks: Bogus Fliers, Smear Emails

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Last Minute Dirty Tricks: Bogus Fliers, Smear Emails

Source: Huffington Post

Nov 03, 2008

Summary

In the hours before Election Day, as inevitable as winter, comes an onslaught of dirty tricks _ confusing e-mails, disturbing phone calls and insinuating fliers left on doorsteps during the night.

The intent, almost always, is to keep folks from voting or to confuse them, usually through intimidation or misinformation. But in this presidential race, in which a black man leads most polls, some of the deceit has a decidedly racist bent.

Complaints have surfaced in predominantly African-American neighborhoods of Philadelphia where fliers have circulated, warning voters they could be arrested at the polls if they had unpaid parking tickets or if they had criminal convictions.

Over the weekend in Virginia, bogus fliers with an authentic-looking commonwealth seal said fears of high voter turnout had prompted election officials to hold two elections _ one on Tuesday for Republicans and another on Wednesday for Democrats.

In New Mexico, two Hispanic women filed a lawsuit last week claiming they were harassed by a private investigator working for a Republican lawy

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Comments (7)

Netzoo,

Nov 03, 2008

I'm stil in disbelief that I actually saw an anti-Obama ad in the middle of this Sunday Night Football game. Here in Los Angeles. It's no-holds barred blanket smearing for McCain and RNC...

Jasongoldberg,

Nov 03, 2008

@netzoo what's most amazing is that the republicans waited until 2 days left to throw the kitchen sink

Netzoo,

Nov 03, 2008

@jasongoldberg i guess they still thought the 72-hour GOTV approach would work like in '00 and '04. Did they forgot that they were up against a "Community Organizer?"

Rpetty,

Nov 03, 2008

@netzoo, surprised to see an ad two days before the election? @jasongoldberg Republicans having been throwing for weeks, doesn't stick. I am disappointed the news media have not done their part in vetting the candidates.

Jasongoldberg,

Nov 03, 2008

@rpetty Rev. Wright as the Willie Horton of 2008 months ago and Republicans let it drop. Now it just seems like a hail Mary.

Rpetty,

Nov 03, 2008

@jasongoldberg true, true... I haven't heard this anywhere, but as I have thought about the execution by McCain campaign, it would seem to me the McCain campaign assumed that the Clinton campaign pulled out all the stops during the primary, dug up all the dirt they could on Obama and that was it. Clearly, the rules are different during the primaries. I think this may be seen as the biggest strategic blunder in recent memory.