Notwithstanding riveting portrayals of campaign staffers as Machiavellian geniuses by Hollywood and HBO and Netflix, there is among the real-life species of these political schemers very little progression to the exceptional and mostly just a regression to the mean. They are hyperstoked on appearing ruthless and "tough," which is what makes for the dreadfully vulgar sameness of most political campaigns.
Exhibit A is David Corn's latest "secret tape," this time of a February 2 meeting of Mitch McConnell & Hitmen as they plotted to whack Ashley Judd. From the transcript, McConnell's oppo-research thug produces the damning skulduggery:
"she's to the far left.
"she openly supports President Obama.
"she's an out-of-touch, Hollywood liberal.
"she currently owns a multi-million dollar mansion in Scotland ... we also have the San Francisco footage.
"she's clearly sort of anti-sort-of-traditional American family.
"she's clearly for pro-abortion.
"she is critical ... [inaudible] sort of traditional Christianity.
"She's clearly, this sounds extreme, but she is emotionally unbalanced."
There's also the occasional mention of Judd's position on actual issues--abortion, gay marriage, cap and trade--but mostly the presentation is a study in cheap shots and vague defamation--none of it requiring elaboration in terms of its whistling effect on Kentucky's bigoted crowd.
So remember, if you can only master the pedestrian art of low-life insinuation, you too can be a political professional amongst the highest ranks.