Tony Lee has the story of an old plan to smear, employed.
“The DNC’s 2004 election manual — on page 54 — encourages liberal activists to work with the mainstream media to preemptively intimidate groups that may expose their Election Day shenanigans.
And that is exactly what has occurred in the past week.
The guide encourages Democrats to brief the press about the “background and history of GOP minority voter
intimidation, with emphasis on past activity in your state or district” and “emphasizing a message of outrage” that is also “designed to appeal to the broader community.”
The manual also suggests Democrats “use minority intimidation as an organizing tool” and “link this fight to the historical fights to enfranchise minorities, going back to the civil rights struggle.”
If there are no signs of intimidation, then the guide urges Democrats to launch a “pre-emptive strike” by:
- Issuing a press release;
- Reviewing Republican tactic used in the past in your area or state;
- Quoting party/minority/civil rights leadership as denouncing tactics that discourage people from voting
- Placing stories in which minority leadership expresses concern about the threat
of intimidation tactics; - Priming minority leadership to discuss the issue in the media;
- Providing groups talking points;
- Warning local newspapers not to accept advertising that is not properly disclaimed or that contains false warnings about voting requirements and/or about what will happen at the polls