And it doesn't just apply to Trent Lott. I don't think this is an accident.
Talk is cheap, after all.
And with the media firmly leashed and ordered to heel, right-wing candidates know that if they spend all of their time attacking the character of the opposition, there won't be time left over for anyone to press them for cold hard facts. And with scandal-mongering as the new standard of journalism, it doesn't matter if the attacks have no substance, because when the attacks are found to be baseless, the Republicans merely pull out a few more scandals and fling them against the wall to see what sticks. Something always does, for a few days or weeks, and in the meantime the real issues pass by the general public unnoticed. The posters, taking their cue from leaders in the Republican party, weren't the least bit interested in discussing policy or issues. They wanted to talk about character - but only if the discussion centered around the character flaws of Democrats.