Educated guess: the Democrats have a very well-established opposition research team in D.C.; more than one in fact. While they had thoroughly investigated and prepared dossiers on Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney, and others, they never really considered Sarah Palin a viable VP candidate. When she was selected by McCain, they sent out urgent requests to their AK state office for any and all existing background research. What they received was essentially raw data, and in their haste to get something, anything, out there to counter the Palin “bump”, they did not properly consider which information might be useful, or in what context, or that some of it might create a sympathetic backfire.
If the people of this country don't wake up soon, all good people will be toast.
What they received was essentially raw data, and in their haste to get something, anything, out there to counter the Palin “bump”, they did not properly consider which information might be useful, or in what context, or that some of it might create a sympathetic backfire.
You appear to be making the assumption that the Obama campaign operates under some sort of code of ethics -- that it's just "haste" that's making the attacks particularly viscious. You couldn't be more wrong.
From the American Spectator this morning:
As Obama operatives scour records in Alaska for dirt on Gov. Sarah Palin, they are also seeking embarrassing materials about her husband. And it isn't just the Obama campaign. Several left-wing groups with ties to MoveOn.org have used their network to offer as to $5,000 for damaging employment or personal information about him.
Meanwhile, the Obama campaign has asked the DNC to coordinate surrogates that appear on camera to attack Gov. Palin. "Last Friday, the Democrat women they put all looked old and tired, nothing like what folks were seeing from Palin," says an Obama media adviser. "It was like, 'we don't have any good-looking younger representatives to put up?'"