[Arm_Bears]

Smearing a key constituency of your base is never a good idea.

[Jabba the Nutt]

The GOP has been known as the Stupid Party for decades. Doing the stupid thing is in its DNA. Attacking 80% of your voters goes beyond even stupid to moronic.

I've said for years that the GOP ought to have its license as a political party revoked for political incompetence. These attacks are Evidence #A.

[grania]

smearing a key constituency of your base is never a good idea

It's a great idea when those smeared can be convinced to vote for "the lesser of two evils".

We've done that for a few decades now, and what we have is a Cochran campaign, among others, that have been pure evil.