FROM WATERGATE TO TRUMP 2.0

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF RATF---ING

Ah, ratf***ing. The term itself is as crude as it is evocative, conjuring images of shadowy operatives, dirty tricks, and political skullduggery. Once the domain of frat-boy pranks and Nixonian sabotage, this peculiar brand of political mischief has evolved into a high-stakes game of manipulation and deceit, with some of its most notorious players now wielding it like a scalpel—or, depending on the situation, a sledgehammer.

From its humble beginnings in college dormitories to its starring role in the Watergate scandal, ratf***ing has undergone a transformation that would make even the most seasoned trickster blush. And in the Trump era, it has reached an apex of precision and audacity that can only be described as both horrifying and—let's admit it—darkly impressive.

So buckle up. We're diving into the art and science of ratf***ing, tracing its evolution from Nixon's Committee to Re-Elect the President (ironically abbreviated as CREEP) to its modern-day incarnation under the likes of Roger Stone and Donald Trump. Along the way, we'll explore how this political dark art has become less of a sneaky side hustle and more of a full-blown operating system for governance.

Ratf***ing 101: A Brief History of Mischief

The term "ratf***ing" first emerged in the hallowed halls of college fraternity houses, where it referred to pranks like ballot-stuffing in student elections. Think of it as the political equivalent of slipping a whoopee cushion under someone's chair—if that whoopee cushion could somehow destroy your opponent's career. By the time Richard Nixon's operatives got their hands on it, ratf***ing had graduated from frat-house hijinks to full-blown political sabotage.

Enter Don Segretti, a key figure in Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign and the unofficial dean of dirty tricks. Segretti and his band of merry pranksters—known as the "USC mafia" due to their shared alma mater—pioneered tactics that would make Machiavelli nod in approval. Among their greatest hits? The infamous "Muskie letters," forged documents designed to smear Democratic candidate Edmund Muskie as a bigot. The letters were so effective that they helped tank Muskie's campaign faster than you can say "plausible deniability."

But Segretti's antics were just the warm-up act. The Watergate scandal would soon blow the lid off Nixon's entire operation, revealing a sordid web of wiretapping, break-ins, and general chicanery. Ratf***ing had officially gone pro.

Roger Stone: The Picasso of Political Mischief

If Don Segretti was the Mozart of ratf***ing, Roger Stone is its Picasso—bold, brash, and utterly unapologetic. Stone has spent decades perfecting the art form, turning it into something that straddles the line between performance art and psychological warfare. With his flamboyant wardrobe, tattoo of Richard Nixon (yes, really), and penchant for chaos, Stone is less a political operative and more a living meme.

Stone's career is a greatest-hits album of dirty tricks. He allegedly planted a fake story about Pat Buchanan fathering an illegitimate child during the 1992 presidential campaign. He orchestrated the infamous "Brooks Brothers Riot" during the 2000 Florida recount, sending a gaggle of preppy protesters to disrupt the vote count. And let's not forget his role in the 2016 election, where his alleged connections to WikiLeaks made headlines—and not in a good way.

But Stone's true genius lies in his ability to adapt ratf***ing to the digital age. While Nixon's operatives relied on forged letters and break-ins, Stone has embraced the internet as his playground. From weaponizing social media to spreading conspiracy theories faster than you can hit "retweet," Stone has turned ratf***ing into a science—and business is booming.

Trump: The Firehose of Falsehoods

If Roger Stone is the artist, Donald Trump is the gallery that displays his work—and then takes credit for it. Under Trump's administration, ratf***ing has evolved from a series of isolated dirty tricks into a full-scale strategy. It's no longer just about sabotaging opponents; it's about creating an alternate reality where facts are optional, lies are plentiful, and confusion reigns supreme.

Take Trump's now-infamous "firehose of falsehoods" strategy. The concept is simple yet diabolical: bombard the public with so many lies, half-truths, and contradictions that they can't keep up. One minute he's claiming he never said something; the next minute he's blaming Democrats and "fake news" for misquoting him. By the time anyone fact-checks him, he's already moved on to his next outrage.

And then there's Fox News and its Murdochian echo chamber, which dutifully amplifies Trump's every claim until it becomes gospel for the MAGA faithful. It's ratf***ing on steroids—a perpetual motion machine of misinformation that leaves opponents scrambling to keep up while Trump's base remains blissfully insulated from reality.

The Science Behind the Madness

What makes modern ratf***ing so effective isn’t just its audacity—it’s its precision. Thanks to advances in technology and data analytics, today’s political operatives have tools at their disposal that Segretti could only dream of. Case in point: REDMAP (the Redistricting Majority Project), a Republican initiative that used sophisticated software like Maptitude to redraw congressional districts in ways that disproportionately favored GOP candidates.

As David Daley outlines in his book *Ratf**ked*, REDMAP wasn’t just about gerrymandering—it was about weaponizing data to rig elections before voters even showed up at the polls. By exploiting demographic trends and voter behavior patterns, Republicans were able to create districts so lopsided that Democratic votes were effectively nullified.

This isn't just dirty politics; it's democracy on life support. And while independent redistricting commissions and ranked-choice voting offer glimmers of hope, the Supreme Court’s reluctance to tackle gerrymandering head-on means that ratf***ers still have plenty of room to operate.

The Legacy of Ratf***ing

Despite its sordid history and dubious ethics, ratf***ing remains an enduring feature of American politics—and it’s not going away anytime soon. Whether it’s Nixon’s operatives forging documents or Trump tweeting at 3 a.m., the tactics may change, but the goal remains the same: win at all costs.

But here’s the thing about ratf***ing—it’s not just about politics. It’s about power. It’s about control. And perhaps most importantly, it’s about creating chaos so overwhelming that no one knows which way is up.

So the next time you see a scandal break or a wild conspiracy theory take hold, remember: this isn’t just politics as usual. This is ratf***ing in its purest form—a steaming Great Dane dump on the fresh-cut lawn of democracy.

And whether you find it horrifying or oddly impressive, one thing is certain: it’s here to stay.

Roger Stone and ‘Ratf—ing’: A Short History - POLITICO Magazine https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/01/25/roger-stone-and-rating-a-short-history-224218/

Ratfucking - RationalWiki https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Ratfucking

'Ratf**ked': Political pranks and modern-day tricksters | Street Roots https://www.streetroots.org/news/2017/12/29/ratfked-political-pranks-and-modern-day-tricksters