You can't handle the truth...

Looks like Republicans are up to their old tricks again, employing the classic dirtball tactics that have helped empty shells like George Bush defeat far more qualified opponents (Seriously, though, can you imagine what the right-wing media would be yacking about if Kerry were President during this economic debacle? And don't tell me there wouldn't have been one, because the Democrats on economic issues especially are way too ideologically close to the Republicans).

It seems Republican operatives -- knowing that it's near to impossible to absolutely pin it on the McCain campaign or the official party -- are conducting fake polls in swing states that try to link Barack Obama to Hamas and the PLO. This report from the Guardian (UK):

"They said; 'Are you Jewish?' and I said 'Yeh'. Then they said 'if you knew Barack Obama was supported by Hamas, would it change your vote? Would it change your vote if you knew his church had made antisemitic statements?'. All the hot button issues on Israel." She said she will vote for Obama as planned.

In Key West, Florida, another swing state, Joelna Marcus, 71, a retired professor, had a similar experience. She was asked if she would be influenced if she learned that Obama had donated money to the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

If you can't beat 'em, smear 'em. As the Guardian points out, the tactic was fundamental in George Bush's overcoming John McCain's double-digit leads in the 2000 primary...double-digit leads that began evaporating when "pollsters" started asking racist Republican voters about McCain's "Black love child."

I'm willing to bet the Democrats are no angels in this category, either; however, it always seems like the Republicans are far better at it. And the risk of getting caught is almost negligible, given how pathetic political coverage is in the US media (outside of the Daily Show), because seriously, how much of the US electorate reads left-leaning British papers?