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Tracker (politics)
A tracker is a person who surveils and records political candidates. While usually passive, they occasionally shout questions. Trackers are employed by rival campaigns, particularly in important races, to follow opponents in the hope of catching them in a gaffe, an inconsistency, or an embarrassing moment, as a part of opposition research. Trackers typically are low-level employees in a campaign, often 20-somethings in their first job after college. The term first entered popular culture in the 2006 George Allen incident when a tracker recorded the incumbent Virginia senator using a racial slur, which contributed to his failure to win re-election. But trackers were being used in 2002 when Phil Press, one of the earliest ones, followed Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Ed Rendell and videotaped him falling asleep during an African-American Chamber of Commerce event. While embarrassed by a story of his napping on the front page of a Pennsylvania newspaper, during Rendell's 20 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Political Gaffe
A political gaffe is a mistake or blunder in speech or action made by a politician that attracts media attention and public scrutiny. While often unintended, political gaffes can have significant consequences, as they may reveal the politician's personal views, highlight misunderstandings of key issues, or showcase perceived flaws in character. The concept includes different types of errors, from factual inaccuracies to statements that expose internal beliefs not intended for public consumption. Gaffes are commonly exploited by opponents and media as part of "gotcha" journalism, which often focuses on the blunder rather than substantive political issues. The rise of social media has further amplified the impact of political gaffes, enabling rapid distribution and increased scrutiny. Overview A political gaffe is a remark or action by a politician that is perceived as a mistake, often because it reveals an unintended truth, appears insensitive, or exposes a lack of knowledge. Pol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Bridge 21st Century
American Bridge 21st Century or AB PAC is a liberal American Super PAC and opposition research group that supports Democratic candidates and opposes Republican candidates. Founded by David Brock in 2010 and associated with Media Matters for America, the organization is one of the largest networks of liberal donors in the U.S. American Bridge 21st Century is an opposition research hub for the Democratic Party. The group employs trackers to physically monitor and surveil Republican candidates and officials and uses social media to deploy its findings. According to ''Politico'', American Bridge 21st Century is "one of the largest and most public facing organizations affiliated with the Democratic Party." In 2020, the group spent $73 million, "making it one of the most prolific outside spenders on either side of the aisle." In 2024, the group expanded to target U.S. House candidates for the first time; it had previously focused only on presidential races, the U.S. Senate, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Election Campaigning
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, by which representatives are chosen or referendums are decided. In modern politics, the most high-profile political campaigns are focused on general elections and candidates for head of state or head of government, often a president or prime minister. Campaign message The message of the campaign contains the ideas that the candidate wants to share with the voters. It is to get those who agree with their ideas to support them when running for a political position. The message often consists of several talking points about policy issues. The points summarize the main ideas of the campaign and are repeated frequently in order to create a lasting impression with the voters. In many elections, the opposition party will try to get the candidate "off message" by bringing up policy or pers ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Research
Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to controlling sources of bias and error. These activities are characterized by accounting and controlling for biases. A research project may be an expansion of past work in the field. To test the validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior projects or the project as a whole. The primary purposes of basic research (as opposed to applied research) are documentation, discovery, interpretation, and the research and development (R&D) of methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge. Approaches to research depend on epistemologies, which vary considerably both within and between humanities and sciences. There are several forms of research: scientific, humanities, artistic, eco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Opposition Research
In politics, opposition research (also called oppo research) is the practice of collecting information on a political opponent or other adversary that can be used to discredit or otherwise weaken them. The information can include biographical, legal, criminal, medical, educational, or financial history or activities, as well as prior media coverage, or the voting record of a politician. Opposition research can also entail using trackers to follow an individual and record their activities or political speeches. The research is usually conducted in the time period between announcement of intent to run and the actual election; however political parties maintain long-term databases that can cover several decades. The practice is both a tactical maneuver and a cost-saving measure. The term is frequently used to refer not just to the collection of information but also how it is utilized, as a component of negative campaigning. Origins and history In the 1st century BC, Cicero is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bernie Moreno
Bernardo Moreno ( ; born February 14, 1967) is a Colombian-born American politician and businessman serving since 2025 as the senior United States senator from Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, Moreno was elected in 2024, defeating Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown. Moreno was born in Colombia to a family that soon immigrated to the United States, where he grew up in Florida. After attending the University of Michigan, he began a career in business. In 2005 he moved to Ohio, where he ran several car dealerships, mostly in Greater Cleveland, before becoming involved in blockchain companies in the late 2010s. Moreno previously ran for Senate in 2022, but withdrew before the Republican primary. He is one of the first two Colombian American U.S. senators, along with Ruben Gallego of Arizona. Early life, family, and education Moreno was born in Bogotá, Colombia, on February 14, 1967. His father, Bernardo Moreno Mejía, was a physician and held high-ranking positions in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scott Wagner
Scott R. Wagner (born September 21, 1955) is an American businessman and politician from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He represented the 28th district in the Pennsylvania State Senate. He was the Republican nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania in the 2018 election, losing by more than 800,000 votes to the incumbent Democrat Tom Wolf. Early life and education Wagner is from Spring Garden Township in York County, Pennsylvania. He was raised on a farm. Wagner graduated from Dallastown Area High School in 1973. He then spent one semester at Williamsport Area Community College (now Pennsylvania College of Technology), but left school to pursue business ventures. Business career Wagner bought his first plot of land for $8,500 at age 19, selling it two years later for a $4,000 profit. He then had several successful business ventures including a laundromat and ski shop, as well as buying a number of rental buildings. He also worked as a bail bondsman. In 1985, Wagner co-f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Political Action Committee
In the United States, a political action committee (PAC) is a tax-exempt 527 organization that pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation. The legal term PAC was created in pursuit of campaign finance reform in the United States. Democracies of other countries use different terms for the units of campaign spending or spending on political competition (see political finance). At the U.S. federal level, an organization becomes a PAC when it receives or spends more than $1,000 for the purpose of influencing a federal election, and registers with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), according to the Federal Election Campaign Act as amended by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (also known as the McCain–Feingold Act). At the state level, an organization becomes a PAC according to the state's election laws. Contributions to PACs from corporate or labor union treasuries ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MinnPost
''MinnPost'' is a nonprofit online newspaper in Minneapolis, founded in 2007, with a focus on Minnesota news. Content and format The site does not endorse candidates for office or publish unsigned editorials representing an institutional position. MinnPost encourages broad-ranging, civil discussion from many points of view, subject to the discretion of a moderator. Content is "politics, government, science, health, culture" and other subjects including the environment, education and the arts. The non-profit model was estimated to save ''MinnPost'' about 15% of a traditional newspaper's outlays. The format takes its shape from online newspapers. At first, ''MinnPost'' published a print version of about eight pages at the lunch hour to high traffic locations. The print on demand model and print version was discontinued during the newspaper's first year. The organization is part of a much-discussed trend away from print toward online media. Quoted by '' Minnesota Public Radio Ne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Opposition Research
In politics, opposition research (also called oppo research) is the practice of collecting information on a political opponent or other adversary that can be used to discredit or otherwise weaken them. The information can include biographical, legal, criminal, medical, educational, or financial history or activities, as well as prior media coverage, or the voting record of a politician. Opposition research can also entail using trackers to follow an individual and record their activities or political speeches. The research is usually conducted in the time period between announcement of intent to run and the actual election; however political parties maintain long-term databases that can cover several decades. The practice is both a tactical maneuver and a cost-saving measure. The term is frequently used to refer not just to the collection of information but also how it is utilized, as a component of negative campaigning. Origins and history In the 1st century BC, Cicero is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
America Rising
America Rising is a United States political action committee (PAC) that produces opposition research on Democratic Party members. It has been called the “unofficial research arm of the Republican Party” by the ''Wall Street Journal''. Organization America Rising was founded in March 2013 by Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign manager, Matt Rhoades. Political strategist Tim Miller left the Republican National Committee (RNC) to join the clearinghouse. As of January 2014, between the PAC and the LLC run by fellow opposition research veteran Joe Pounder, the organization employed 47 people, full or part-time. CNN reported that America Rising would be split into two entities: a super PAC that aimed to spread negative stories about congressional Democratic incumbents and candidates through digital channels and earned media, and an LLC that would house a video library to be shared with GOP candidates, the RNC and other right-leaning groups. To avoid making illegal in-kind ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phil Murphy
Philip Dunton Murphy (born August 16, 1957) is an American politician, diplomat, and financier serving as the 56th governor of New Jersey since 2018. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2017 New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2017 and narrowly reelected in 2021 New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2021. Murphy was the List of ambassadors of the United States to Germany, U.S. ambassador to Germany from 2009 to 2013 under President Barack Obama. Born and raised in Needham, Massachusetts, Murphy has degrees from Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. He had a 23-year career at Goldman Sachs, where he held several high-level positions and accumulated considerable wealth before retiring in 2006. He then became active in politics. He was finance chairman for the Democratic National Committee in the mid-late 2000s under Howard Dean. While planning to run for governor of New Jersey, Murphy and hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
