Editing Character assassination (section)

==In politics==

In [[Politics of Australia|Australian politics]], a [[Dorothy Dixer]] is a rehearsed or planted question asked of a government Minister by a [[backbencher]] of their own [[political party]] during [[Parliament of Australia|Parliament]]ary [[Question Time]]. While intended to enable a Minister to discuss or address concerns about the subject asked of him, a Dixer will often conclude with "Is the Minister aware of any alternative policies?" This addition allows the Minister to launch into often aggressive attacks on the opposition, which depending on the leeway offered by the Speaker (who is a member of the ruling party and thus will usually side with the Minister), can include not just attacks on Opposition policy, but attempts to character assassinate opposition members directly.<ref name=Parliamentary-glossary>{{Cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=Parliamentary glossary |title=Dorothy Dix question or Dorothy Dixer |url=http://www.peo.gov.au/students/gloss_cd.html#D |publisher=Parliamentary Education Office (Commonwealth Parliament of Australia) |access-date=22 August 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517004818/http://www.peo.gov.au/students/gloss_cd.html |archive-date=17 May 2013 }}</ref>

Charging an opponent with character assassination may have political benefits.  In the [[Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination|hearings for Clarence Thomas' nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States]], supporters claimed that both [[Clarence Thomas]] and [[Anita Hill]] were victims of character assassination.<ref name="isbn0-415-90751-9">{{cite book
|author1=Walkowitz, Rebecca L.
|author2=Garber, Marjorie B.
|author3=Matlock, Jann
|title=Media spectacles
|publisher=Routledge
|location=New York
|year=1993
|pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780415907514/page/32 32]
|isbn=0-415-90751-9
|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780415907514/page/32
}}</ref>