> Surprised his opponent or his party didn't do some vetting. Implicit in your statement is that oppo research is at least as good as the journalism machinery.

> Surprised his opponent or his party didn't do some vetting. Implicit in your statement is that oppo research is at least as good as the journalism machinery. Perhaps the answer to your question is that they did some vetting, but are nowhere near as effective as the press. It's fashionable to dunk on the press (or "mainstream media") lately, but perhaps they have a useful function whose effectiveness does not wax and wain with the election seasons.