Posted on 01/22/2012 6:19:15 AM PST by lbryce
South Carolinians are voting today in the GOP primary, which some pundits see as the candidates' last stand for getting the GOP nomination to run in the general election.
On weekends on All Things Considered today, host Guy Raz talked with Danielle Vinson, the chair of the political science department at Furman University in Greenville, S.C., about what is often considered "dirty" South Carolina primary politics.
"If you don't come of out here with a first or second place, it's hard to keep going," she says. "So by the time they get here everybody takes off the gloves."
One of the most famous examples she cites is a whisper campaign during the 2000 presidential primary that falsely claimed then-candidate John McCain of fathering an illegitimate child with a black prostitute.
Vinson says this type of campaigning goes back to at least the '70s, if not before. One of South Carolina's most famous political operatives was GOP strategist Lee Atwater.
"He made it very clear that nothing was off limits when it came to campaigns, public or private," she says.
These type of attacks cut across party lines, and though they often work, they can also backfire. Vinson says that was the case for South Carolina's current governor, Nikki Haley, who was accused of being unfaithful to her husband.
"She actually ended up winning the primary in part because people didn't think she'd been treated fairly during the campaigning," she says.
Often candidates in a primary race don't differ too drastically on the issues, Vinson says, so in order to separate the candidates the political operatives go for the private lives.
Though South Carolina has been known for its "dirty" primary politics, Vinson says it's important to remember that not all of it is driven by the state.
(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...
I am so glad my tax dollars are well spent on NPR(Marxist beyotches...)
NPR, and their dear reader, is in fear. Once Newt locks up the nomination, they know who is next in line to be subjected to exposure as a socialist Alinskyite.
Leftist radio.
Paid for with my tax dollars.
Don’t watch Fox News this morning, if you want to keep your blood pressure down, they are marching out all of their RomneyBot talking heads this morning who are attacking Newt big time!
I’m no fan o NPR, but all these things did happen. And they were done by Republicans. South Carolina is a gunfight. And you don’t show up at a gunfight with your trusty BoyScout pocket knife. Im not condoning dirty tricks, just recognizing the reality of SC politics. The only truly biased aspect was their failure to list the dirty tricks done by the Democrats. But it is NPR so you pretty much expect that.
So much for Fox, “fair and balanced.” We’re actually watching a lot more CNN lately. Even they seem fair compared to the over the top ‘pro Romney’ bias spewed by Fox. Their post election coverage last night was nauseating, led by Britt Hume, who really needs to take a job at MSNBC.
Thanks lbryce. Ah, the stench of Mitt Romney.
Sounmds familiar. There was also a whisper campaign during the 1992 presidential primary that claimed then-candidate Bill Clinton fathered an illegitimate child with a black prostitute. Danny. He and his mother moved to Australia during the campaign. He looked just like Clinton.
***There was also a whisper campaign during the 1992 presidential primary that claimed then-candidate Bill Clinton fathered an illegitimate child with a black prostitute.****
I remember when NIXON went to China. There was a smear campaign afterwards that claimed, falsely, that Nixon had an affair with a Chinese prostitute in Hong Kong.
Can you imagine NPR running with the headline “Dirty-politics as-usual in Chicago,” even though it would actually be an accurate headline?
ha ha. :-) You have a pornographic, uh, excuse me, I mean, photographic memory to recall those little known, long forgotten incidents.
Nauseating Progressive ReDux
Now don't get me started on the Profumo scandal from years ago! ;-D
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