(1). Negative ads and rhetoric designed to focus everyone’s attention on some insignificant detail of a candidate’s past (and away from his opponent’s lack of qualifications). So, in other words, every campaign ever.
“This is ridiculous! It’s just a blatant smear campaign by the Senator in an attempt to make it look like I cheat on my wife. It’s disgraceful! I only cheated on my wife that one time…last week…with my secretary…in my kid’s room.”