Personnel Profile: Josh Heller

Josh Heller is an opposition researcher for Gale Kaufman Campaign Consultants.
He has been working for the company since August 2005.

[B]What exactly does an opposition researcher do?[/B]

An opposition researcher tries to contrast candidates. You try to see the differences between candidates and issues and groups. You’re not necessarily looking for bad stuff, but you’re looking for differences, and then you can make decisions about how you want to make your candidate look and such.

[B]What got you interested in becoming an opposition researcher?
[/B]
Well, I have always loved to ask questions. I’m inquisitive and in the office they call me “The Contrarian.” But I have always been the kind of person that likes to research things.

[B]So is that how you got your nickname?[/B]

Whether it’s regarding Sacramento or sports or entertainment or whatever, it just seems that whenever anyone makes a point, I’m like, “No, that cannot be true. I know for a fact that’s not completely true!” It’s more a kind of a belief that there is always a gray area; not everything is in black or white. Rarely in my opinion is there yes or no, only “yes, but