WI-08: GOP Tries To Link Dem Kagen To Convicted Serial Killer And Child Rapist
Uglier and uglier. The Wisconsin GOP is struggling to link Dem Steve Kagen -- the doctor-turned-candidate who's running against GOPer John Gard in a tight race -- to a convicted serial killer and child rapist. How is this link being made? "Only very tortuously and dishonestly," says Joel McNally of the Madison Capital Times. Full story here.
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These desperate attempts are not really meant to get voters to believe that the democratic candidates actually did these things. They're intended to lead voters to dismiss all charges of personal failure--to conclude that Foley is "just politics" like these other ads.
There's also a longstanding underlying motivation for republicans going negative. They're trying to drive down turnout--to make voters think that there is no difference between the candidates or the parties. That's what these ads are about, to make voters disgusted with the system as a whole, and to get them to stay home.
October 21, 2006 11:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
...and lazy stupid on-the-one-hand-on-the-other-hand journamalism is only too happy to help out.
October 22, 2006 9:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Earlier, the GOP was running ads claiming Kagen was a bad doctor because on occasion he sued some patients who didn't pay their bills. He was in league with the oily trial lawyers, dontcha know. But I immediately wondered: If any of the GOP's friends in Big Bidnessland couldn't get a customer to pay his bill, d'ya think they'd hesitate to sue the dude? Heck, these are the guys who sued the Gore campaign in Florida for seeking a vote recount!
October 22, 2006 8:58 PM | Reply | Permalink