The Truth About Opposition Research
At the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Delve CEO Jeff Berkowitz spoke to Jason Rantz of KIRO-TV’s (Seattle, WA) talk radio on the often misunderstood art of opposition research.
Jeff explained that the process will generally start with a vulnerability study, “so we can understand [a candidate’s] strengths and weaknesses as a candidate,” and what issues may exist in their past. He also pointed out that when preparing a candidate and their families for what kind of attacks may come their way, researchers will often be less careful with the facts to simulate how opponents could try to smear them.
The vulnerability study process at Delve is unique because instead of using big questionnaires or relying on a candidate’s memory of their own past for a framework of potential attacks, we dig into every facet of the public record exactly as an opponent’s researchers would. We use this research to build narratives that could be used, fairly or unfairly, by opponents. Our approach ensures candidates not only know the complete public record of their background but can back up the statements they and their campaign make about it and understand how their opponents might use – or misuse – the publicly available information.
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Once campaigns begin digging into their opponents however, they need to be 100% accurate in every attack becomes crucial. Jeff talked about how this proved especially important when he prepared an attack on John Kerry for President Bush’s reelection campaign. Dispelling the common misconception of “oppo” as dumpster diving for personal attacks, Jeff explained, “it’s not just about this is a good person or a bad person, it’s also about you’re going to choose them to represent you, where do they stand on the issues.”
Check out the full interview below for a more in depth breakdown of modern opposition research and it’s being used.
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