OK: folks. Time to talk about something I first warned about in 20110 before it happened- and have been proven justified with the warning EVERY SINGLE TIME.
Early voting Starts on Monday February 20th, which means this next week we will see the most detestable campaign tactic that generally is deployed; the last-minute garbage dump, normally starting to show up in your mailbox about Thursday. What is will be some horrifying expose of a candidate- often personal in nature, usually not discussed at all before this hits your mailbox. It’s content is normally quite contestable by the attacked candidate as provable falsehoods, ridiculously out-of-context statements, insinuations, and massively cherry-picked data. It is saved for the last because the explanations that easily counter it cannot be deliver in time. (Mind you, don’t discount ALL last minute mailers; often a candidate has to answer the mailers you’ve gotten in the 7-10 days before; but look to the content).
These smear pieces are a specialty of certain consultants; Murphy-Nasica is most notorious for this slimeball tactic. Their clients opponent can pretty well be assured of some garbage coming their way. For example, Bob Hall opponent Cindy Burkett has dropped a HUGE amount of money on Murphy; he’s GUARANTEED to see a dump.
Here’s a good rule of thumb; any attack ads that seem the least bit scurrilous or personal in that time frame, especially on an issue you’ve never seen before or discussing anything or event over 6 month old, don’t dump them straight in the recycle bin. Take note of the name of the ‘accused’- and plan to vote for that person to help bring an end to this sleaziness. This tactic has backfired SO many times, it’s amazing people are dumb enough to still use it. But that last minute mailer is income in the pockets of the mud merchants, so they’ll continue pitching its use.
Texas Legislative Watch 