There are probably earlier examples of the non-denial denial in political campaigning, but this is my personal favourite. It’s from the dirty tricks handbook of onetime Philadelphia Inquirer owner, journalism education philanthropist, and general bad egg, Walter Annenberg:

One day in 1966 a Democrat named Milton Shapp held a press conference while running for governor and Annenberg’s hand-picked political reporter asked him only one question. The question was, “Mr. Shapp, have you ever been admitted to a mental institution?”

“Why no,” Shapp responded, and went away scratching his head about this odd question.

The next morning he didn’t need to scratch his head any more. A five-column front page Inquirer headline read, “Shapp Denies Mental Institution Stay.” I’m not making this up.

Poet Philip Larkin wrote that what will survive of us is love.

His dirty tricks are in the grave. What will survive of Annenberg is his money.