Hey Kids! I know! Let's have a scavenger hunt game!

[MineralMan]

We'll call it: "GOTCHA!"

Here's the way you play the game. See if you can find video any of the Democratic candidates saying something that seems wrong or bad to you. Context doesn't matter. When it was said doesn't matter, so look way back, if you wish. Then, post it here in this thread as a way of supporting some other candidate.

Doesn't that sound like fun? Don't you want to participate? Don't you just want to go searching for something like that?

Well, join in the fun! Everyone can play!

[crazytown]

1. I've found it!

[LakeArenal]

2. We have so many to do that for us..

Continually, everyday, every night, every thread.

Sorta like being a collection agency. Who does that? How do you sleep at night?

[emulatorloo]

3. Oh I am not playing that game.

Good post mm.

[melman]

4. I can't understand why vetting is so unpopular all of a sudden

Seems like just yesterday it was all the rage.

[crazytown]

5. I would say it's like posting another OP about Anita Hill:

a case of diminishing returns.

[MineralMan]

6. Vetting, eh?

Cool. C'mon, join in and play. Find some dirt for us.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

7. Agreed. The time for this kind of stuff to come out is now, not August 2020.

[MineralMan]

9. Of course, by August of 2020, our nominee will already be chosen, right?

It's important that people find anything they can to burn candidates they don't support early on, right? Before the nomination and even before there are any primary votes, right? Is that the goal?

I mean, especially the currently leading candidate when you support one that's not doing as well. Gotta bring the leader down. So find whatever you can that will hurt the leader, so your candidate can do better. Is that how it works?

Feh! This effort is transparent, ugly, and misdirected.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

11. Some people see it as burning -- usually when their ox is being gored, to mix metaphors.

I see it as stress-testing or inoculating, myself. Part of it is because I don't love any of the candidates; each of them has their own weak spots I find deal-breakers in a primary, and learning more about them is important to me, even if it "brings them down," because I want to be prepared to talk about it during the general.

[MineralMan]

12. Who has an ox? We all use tractors now.

Still, we do have lots of statues of Babe the Blue Ox here in Minnesota, but I haven't seen a live ox for a very long time.

I'm not too worried about any oxen getting gored, frankly.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

14. None better than the one in Bemidji, for sure.

[MrsCoffee]

8. So you are on board now?

Good to know.

Buckle up.

[MineralMan]

10. Only sometimes, see. Only sometimes.

And only for, you know, certain candidates who are leading in the polls and blocking someone else's path to the nomination. Then, bring out the dirt.

[melman]

13. lol

[ehrnst]

22. BOOM! (nt)

[ehrnst]

21. Unless it's a fact check on a specific politician that gets very prickly

if someone fact checks him instead of simply acting as a stenographer.

Then it's HIT PIECE!! HATERS!!!

[treestar]

15. Yeah wonder why they can't find their own candidate doing something awesome

instead.

[MineralMan]

16. Oh, they can, and do, but it just doesn't seem to be enough sometimes.

So, they try to cut down the other candidates, especially the one who is leading and is ahead of theirs.

Oldest trick in the book, but it never really works out very well in the end. Sometimes it ends up with a horrible, awful, terrible conclusions that hurts everyone. But, no matter...if there's dirt, get it out there, irrelevant or not.

[Baclava]

17. Purity Control! Purity Control! Can we all dress up as Purity Control?

Oh this gonna be sooooo much fun. I'll bring the cake and punch

[MineralMan]

19. Of course! That garb will be de rigueur at the awards ceremony.

If you're an entrant, you'll receive a copy of our dress code automatically.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

18. All of them have something I could pick at. Every single one of them. They will all have done

or said something I disagree with or disapprove of. If they've been in politics for a long time they probably will have voted for legislation I opposed or against legislation I supported, possibly for the benefit of a constituency that does not exist in my state. They might have made friends with or least cooperated with or said something nice about, somebody I don't like. Maybe they have a disreputable family member. Maybe they have money because their family owned a business I disapprove of. Maybe they invested in a business I disapprove of. Maybe they made a speech to some people I disapprove of. Maybe they hugged somebody. Maybe they yelled at an employee. Maybe they wore a tan suit. Maybe they have a lot of parking tickets or didn't return library books on time. Will I reject any candidate because somebody dredged up an instance of such malfeasance and posted it on an internet message board? Oh, hell, no.

In fact, I will view the commission of some such venial sin - especially if reported breathlessly on DU by a supporter of someone else (or by a Russian troll) - as having been committed in the ordinary course of business as a politician. I will evaluate whether the perp is worthy or unworthy of my support on the basis of the totality of their career, not because they did this thing this one time some years ago and OMG I have to hate them now.

[MineralMan]

20. Yes, of course.

Often, it's not the candidates themselves who do that sort of thing. They know that there are things they'd rather not come out about them, too. Typically, it is enthusiastic, if misguided, supporters who think dishing the dirt is a good idea.

It's not, of course, and often backfires spectacularly.

[NJCher]

23. it's really backfiring now

Big time. The Biden spoof site has way more hits than Biden's official site. In fact, last I heard Biden's official site didn't even show on the first three pages of a Google search. Now that's what I call a backfire!