Tracking, as it is known, has become a common tool in "ops research" during political campaigns. It involves having the opposing candidate's public appearances videotaped on the hope that he or she may commit a gaffe.
The practice gained notoriety when former U.S. Sen. George Allen, a Republican from Virginia, was caught on tape last year using a racial slur. Many analysts believe the incident may have cost him his seat.
While reviewing an opponent's public statements has been part of campaigning for as long as there have been campaigns, tracking is different. It is meant to capture the opposing candidate off-guard, saying something that he or she probably wouldn't blurt out if given time to think.
In the case of Sen. Susan Collins, who faces a 2008 campaign against Democratic Rep. Tom Allen, a Democratic party operative was following her around at an appearance in Stockton Springs on Saturday. Collins' office says the man doing the video taping, Rick Redmond, got right in her face.
The issue of whether Redmond got a bit too close is beside the main point. This kind of aggressive opposition research is bad form, and certainly not the way we in Maine think of ourselves when it comes political campaigns. There's always been a statesmanlike aura surrounding not only the people we send to Washington, but the campaigns that put them in office.
Some of that has started to change in recent years, as local candidates hire out-of-state consultants and campaign staff to help them win office, but negative campaigning still hasn't proved all that helpful here. Allen and his supporters would be wise to bear that in mind -- as would anyone else tempted to use the same tactics.
Reader comments
Click here to view or add comments on this story
Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form