I can't tell you how many times I have seen Warren's "heritage" brought up

[edhopper]

not here, but on other sites and out in the real world.
It was complete bullshit, but it worked. Too many unthinking Americans felt it disqualified her.

This is what we are up against. And it works.

It worked on Gore, it worked on Kerry, it almost worked on Obama, it worked on Hillary.

Come up with a false attack and let the media keep going back to it.

Expect it in spades from Trump on Biden or Bernie.

[PatSeg]

1. Yes

And considering all the real scandals on the right, it is outrageous that these faux scandals have so much traction. It is like if a candidate is squeaky clean, they have to find something to prove they aren't so "perfect". I think republicans resent opponents with principles.

[edhopper]

2. It's where "but her emails" came from

that was about how the NY Times and the Networks covered her.

[PatSeg]

8. Republicans are really good at this

but it is the media's gullibility that makes it work. They just keep repeating the lies until it becomes accepted as facts to a large chunk of the population.

Admittedly, Bill Clinton was no saint, but republicans went after him for years before they finally found a real scandal. They can't stand for a Democrat to be in power.

[Moderateguy]

3. I don't think anyone is under the misapprehension that the dem nominee

will not have everything and the kitchen sink thrown at them in the general. Some of it, unfortunately, will stick. It is just necessary to GOTV. We need to vote in numbers so large that smears, voter disenfranchisement and foreign ratfu##ing do not stand a chance.

[edhopper]

6. It is a shame that that is true

it says; We will win, but they cheat and fix the elections so much that we have to win by a larger amount than the cheating can take from us.

It would be like the Superbowl if one team was awarded a touchdown before the game.

[R B Garr]

4. Agreed. I bet Trump wanted to face Bernie the most not only because of the ease

of the socialism smear, but that would mute the powerful ex-presidents like Obama and Clinton who are very artful and intelligent campaigners. Imagine those two having to prop up fabricated socialism ideations after both have had successful records that they could discuss.

But, yes, the false attacks will be flying no matter who it is.

[TwilightZone]

5. "it almost worked on Obama"

Obama demolished McCain, so I'm not sure what your standard is for "almost worked". McCain had a small lead for about a week in September. Obama was ahead the rest of the time and often by double digits.

The impact of the birther nonsense is often overblown. It got a lot of media attention, but I don't think most rational voters ever took it seriously. The McCain camp was having so little impact with that and other false nonsense that they pulled Palin out of a hat.

But her e-mails, of course, is a different story, both here and elsewhere.

[edhopper]

9. I think it didn't work because McCain wanted none of it

as opposed to the other examples generated by the GOP campaigns.

And we know Trump will do this in spades.

[left-of-center2012]

7. Give her credit for apologizing

Elizabeth Warren Apologizes at Native American Forum: ‘I Have Listened and I Have Learned’

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, speaking at a presidential forum on Native American issues on Monday (8/13/2018), offered a direct, public apology for the “harm” she caused with her past claims of Native American ancestry and pledged to uplift Native people as president.

“Like anyone who’s being honest with themselves, I know that I have made mistakes,” said Ms. Warren, who was met with a standing ovation when she took the stage. “I am sorry for harm I have caused. I have listened and I have learned a lot, and I am grateful for the many conversations that we’ve had together.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/19/us/politics/elizabeth-warren-native-american.html

[edhopper]

10. I give her great credit for that

the fact is it was never a big deal, she explained it but Trump kept it going. And the media lapped it up.