Classic propaganda technique, and it works every time. Even if the Dems don't believe it, and even if the majority of the Reps don''t believe it, there will be some out there that do, and if it brings them out in enough numbers, it could swing a close election. And if enough of these lies are circulating, even breeding in this age of digital self-publishing, the cumulative effect will get results. Rumors never die, even the ones that are thoroughly debunked keep on popping up, like Atlantis, the Bermuda Triangle, or the Face on Mars. "Where there's smoke, there's fire..." the booboisie like to tell themselves. They're desperate for evidence of what they already believe anyway. When they see the lie reported in two separate venues, that's confirmation enough for them.

The one thing it isn't is stupid. It's carefully planned and specifically targetted, not by the Party leadership (who may even be embarassed, if not horrified by it) but by those minor power centers allied with it who have taken it upon themselves to save the world, no matter what it takes, because "THEY must be stopped at all costs".

Something similar happened when the Elder Bush was running for President, a rumor was planted that he had bailed out of his burning dive bomber in WWII without making sure his gunner was out first(Swiftplane?). The rumor was instantly denouced and repudiated by his opponents, but as it turns out, due to the design of the plane, there was nothing Bush could have done for his crewman anyway.