Alright, guys -- I can stomach that politics means being tough on your opponent. I've been doing this a hot minute -- my skin is thick (and, let's be honest, covered in tattoos.) But here's what I cannot stomach: hypocrisy.
One rule I have for my clients, when they want to go on the offense with an attack, is this: be above reproach. So, don't accuse your opponent of a felony like money laundering unless every dollar coming into your CTE is SPOTLESS.
Another one: practice what you preach. If you're branding yourself a progressive, you need to be that all the time, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD.
So if you're insisting your opponent somehow denounce money she hasn't received and she's not legally allowed to have anything to do with, I'm gonna look real hard at your CFRs, too, and see how well your campaign spending reflects your progressive values.
Exhibit A: Paying for staff and candidate meals at Chick-Fil-A: 
When your whole brand is built upon political purity litmus tests, I'm going to insist that you pass those tests yourself. Putting money directly into the pockets of a hateful group of zealots in a state where hate crimes against LGBTQ persons have risen exponentially...
...and that company is actively using your money to advance the agenda that keeps our LGBTQ friends, family and neighbors without rights and in constant fear for their lives: NOT OK. And full disclosure: I've never once eaten Chick-Fil-A. It's one easy way to walk the walk.
Exhibit B: Spending campaign $ at Walmart.
In tennis, these are what they call unforced errors. In life, this is what we call hypocrisy.
I'm sure there will be a lot of excuses. None of them are valid. Not one. You can't claim to stand with vulnerable populations, and then be unable to resist handing money to BIG EVIL CORPORATIONS that actively work to make their lives harder.
Especially not when your entire message is that people should not support, or accept the support of, corporations whose politics don't align with our values.
