Work Sifting: Opposition Researchers and Oppo Research

work sifting: Dedicated teams from the leading federal political parties have been hard at work sifting through the entire online histories of opponents, all in the hopes they will tip the balance of any given riding in their favour, according to CBC. The results of so-called oppo research can be devastating, stripping away the entire identity of a candidate and replacing it with a singular emphasis on just a few unfortunate words or outdated jokes. That is, it's that time when opposition researchers dig up dirt on their political opponents, overturning every rock and screen-grabbing every ill-advised Facebook screed. The specific degree of wrongdoing rarely matters; even a snippet of bad publicity will cause any potential backbencher to be permanently cast aside. A number of candidates were forced to step aside during the 2015 election due to social media-related gaffes, and 2019 is likely to ensnare a few more. Opposition research isn't new, but social media has brought about a kind of golden age in this dark art. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.