For these smears there are the folks who want the candidate smeared. The wealthier of these start putting up money for research and distribution. Lots and lots of money. They then fund searches or people who offer inside knowledge. That is turned over to a PR team to determine how and when to present the "information".

At that point the candidate is informed through a low-level person who checks with the higher-ups to clear the message re content and timing. Nothing in these campaigns happens without the candidate clearing it.

And then it's released through friendly outlets and hopefully picked up by the mainstream media.

Only then can the rank-and-file can use the information to reinforce their own predetermined beliefs. All the above is true for both parties. Everyone does it. However, the results for the Republicans has been sparse.

My point was that at the start of this process a lot of money is spent, a lot of research done and nothing of any note was found. Wasn't born in Kenya as alleged and was spread around. A book jacket blurb written by a publicist (and NOT previously denied by Obama) claims a Kenyan birth. Oh, yes, he belonged to a very large church congregation which had a screwy pastor. Along with millions and millions of other Americans who belong to churches with screwy pastors.

Even so, "these Republicans" have funded the distribution of those claims in an attempt to smear this candidate.

And after all that there isn't anything substantive, no deal breakers, no "bimbo outbreaks".

There just hasn't been much generated (so far) to discredit Obama as a person.