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Demonizing your opponent by claiming he's being negative is a sleazy but time-honored political practice. It requires a large degree of chutzpah (which Joe has in abundance), and a certain contempt for the intelligence of the voting public - if they notice that you're the one being negative, after all, they might punish you for it.
The modern Republican Party has developed that technique into an art form, and Joe seems to be taking a page from their book. Witness a recent article from the Journal Inquirer ( http://www.journalinquirer.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17128067&BRD=985&PAG=461&dept_id=161556&rfi=6 ), "New Lieberman TV ad prompts rapid response from Lamont camp":
"The idea of the Lamont campaign posing as guardians of the truth has about as much receptivity as John Karr heading the FBI," [the Lieberman campaign spokesman] said, referring to the man who offered the now-discredited confession to killing JonBenet Ramsey.
"The Lamont campaign is showing its true colors by going negative in response to an advertisement pointing out their negativity," he added. "They couldn't make our point better for us."
Did you notice? In one breath the spokesman compares Ned Lamont to a famous pervert, child pornographer, and possible child molester...and in the next breath, complains that LAMONT is the one who is being negative.
It's a stunning display of hypocrisy, but more than that, it really speaks volumes about their opinion of the intelligence of the voters that they're aiming at.
