opposition research
Digging for dirt
Opposition research is the systematic gathering of information about a political opponent—voting records, past statements, financial dealings, personal history—to find material that can be used against them in a campaign.
Often shortened to oppo research or just oppo.
The term has spread beyond politics to any strategic investigation of rivals or adversaries.
Person seeking selection
- electionOrganized public voting
- attack adsNegative campaign commercials
- opponentOne who contends against
- voterBallot-casting citizen
primary · incumbent · challenger · negative campaigning · battleground · swing state · endorsement · political action committee
Loose dry earth
- smearSpread or defame
- leakEscape through a breach
- exposéInvestigative journalism piece
- allegationAssertion lacking proof
cover-up · smoking gun · skeleton · gaffe · misconduct · corruption · affair · hypocrisy
Investigation of someone's history
- public recordsOfficially filed, publicly accessible documents
- financial disclosureRequired reporting of finances
- tax returnsIncome disclosure forms
- court recordsDocumented legal proceedings
social media · archives · FOIA · paper trail · vetting · fact-checking · timeline · associates
File of personal information
- briefingConcise information session
- profileSide-facing outline
- vulnerabilityOpenness to harm
- weaknessDeficiency in force
assessment · analysis · targeting · timing · October surprise · rapid response · counterattack · framing
candidate
Person seeking selection
- electionOrganized public voting
- attack adsNegative campaign commercials
- opponentOne who contends against
voter · primary · incumbent · challenger · negative campaigning · battleground · swing state · endorsement · political action committee · super PAC
dirt
Loose dry earth
allegation · cover-up · smoking gun · skeleton · gaffe · misconduct · corruption · affair · hypocrisy · conflict of interest
background check
Investigation of someone's history
- public recordsOfficially filed, publicly accessible documents
- financial disclosureRequired reporting of finances
- tax returnsIncome disclosure forms
court records · social media · archives · FOIA · paper trail · vetting · fact-checking · timeline · associates · donors
dossier
File of personal information
- briefingConcise information session
- profileSide-facing outline
- vulnerabilityOpenness to harm
weakness · assessment · analysis · targeting · timing · October surprise · rapid response · counterattack · framing · pivot
- campaigningcandidate, campaign signs, canvassing, campaign manager, fundraising
- campaign costscampaign spending, ad buys, direct mail, staff salaries, travel expenses
- political oppositionminority party, minority leader, shadow cabinet, shadow government, shadow minister
- political tacticscampaigning, gerrymandering, filibuster, campaigns, voter suppression
- electionsballot, ballots, voter registration, candidates, polls
- debatesmoderator, podium, lectern, rebuttal, rebuttals
opposition researchself-examination
Scrutiny of one's thoughts
introspection · self-assessment · internal audit · self-scrutiny · self-reflection
opposition researchhagiography
Idealized biographical writing
puff piece · advocacy · public relations · spin · propaganda
oppose, research, opposition, opposed, opposing, composition, researcher, disposition, proposition