RedCrystal

I bet Karl Rove already knows this. Too well.

I read this on The FactCheck Wire:

Fact-Checking Is Useless

Apparently, here is a tactic which, though counter-intuitive, works really well:

1. Tell a damaging, outrageous, but plausible, lie.
2. Watch as people wonder whether it's really true.
3. Wait for your opponent to vigorously refute or deny it.
4. Watch as people get even more certain that it really is true.

It seems that the technique works best on Republicans.

Why would Karl Rove (who symbolizes all the dirty politics that the Republicans play) be interested in a technique that solidifies his own base?

Because most Americans tend to follow the person with the most confidence, right or wrong (which explains why George W. Bush was elected). And by that, I mean confidence in him/herself, as well as the confidence of his/her followers.

This tactic is easy to employ; thinking of lies is just like, ... oh, thinking, for most politicians. One could say they are one and the same. But here, your opponent does most of the hard work for you when they challenge your lie. And better still -- there's no down side for you. Especially if the other side is silent.

Why? Because the Republicans are more susceptible to this tactic, and so they become ever more confident that the lies they believe are really true, and the average American, who's paying more attention to American Idol anyway, will just go along with the last most confident opinion they hear. Which will usually be a Republican.

If only I could think of a more effective counter-tactic....