To specifically flag this, I agree with you that I do not like the quoted behaviour at all. I do not think that EA or EA adjacent campaigns should be misrepresenting other candidates. It hurts ability to cooperate later and damages the democratic environment. Perhaps this is naive of me, but I think the cost from these behaviours in terms of reputation were greater than what they added.
It advanced, the practice of grainy dark pictures, untruths, and inappropriate use of information (such as calling a $250 contribution from a drug company in 2018 financing the Salinas campaign) which just subverts the electoral process.
Beyond that, I’m not sure I agree that this was a huge miscalculation from Carrick. He took a risk and he lost. You describe him as “assuming he could win a race with many qualified candidates”. I am unsure whether he thought he would probably win, but he thought it was worth a shot. And he didn’t do terribly, but the people of Oregon chose a candidate they preferred, as is their right. To me, that seems to be how democracy works.
Thanks for writing this Carol.
To specifically flag this, I agree with you that I do not like the quoted behaviour at all. I do not think that EA or EA adjacent campaigns should be misrepresenting other candidates. It hurts ability to cooperate later and damages the democratic environment. Perhaps this is naive of me, but I think the cost from these behaviours in terms of reputation were greater than what they added.
Beyond that, I’m not sure I agree that this was a huge miscalculation from Carrick. He took a risk and he lost. You describe him as “assuming he could win a race with many qualified candidates”. I am unsure whether he thought he would probably win, but he thought it was worth a shot. And he didn’t do terribly, but the people of Oregon chose a candidate they preferred, as is their right. To me, that seems to be how democracy works.