It’s opposition-research season in the campaign-consulting game — too early to campaign, but not too early to be getting prepared for a little back and forth.

During this short but informative interlude between candidate recruiting and actual battles in the media, I often am called upon to ponder — often with the benefit of polls and focus groups — whether anything lethal lies buried in a candidate’s dossier.

My views on this subject have evolved over the years, finally crystallizing in a list of seven deadly sins that candidates cannot commit today. As with health matters, the designation of something as “deadly” doesn’t mean that every victim will demise, but enough do to merit the label. You might be the exception that survives a snake bite — actually only about seven Americans each year die from snakebites — but we still consider rattlesnake venom something deadly that should be avoided.

• Sin No. 1: Voting to raise taxes.

Despite Democrats’ best efforts to make voting for higher taxes a badge of honor or courage, it’s still not acceptable behavior in most states to be a tax raiser. You may vote against reducing taxes, but you can’t raise them without risking a cobralike bite.

• Sin No. 2: Not paying your own taxes. This is an especially troublesome charge when the candidate is a Republican, especially one who makes low taxes a central policy goal. It’s OK to be against taxes, but voters won’t tolerate a do-it-yourself, go-it-alone implementation of your tax-cut plan.

• Sin No. 3: Multiple DUIs. Driving under the influence is one of the sins that voters can forgive, as long as you stop after one ticket. But if you get pulled over a second time, your odds of recovering from a cobra bite may look better. Also, if you get caught trying to use Mr. Big status to convince the arresting officer that DUI laws don’t apply to important people, reach for the anti-venom because you are going to need some.

• Sin No. 3: Porn problems. This is a relatively new peccadillo, but one that is sure to become more common in the age of the Internet. It’s amazing how often public officials get caught with porn on their official, publicly owned computers today. It is sure to crash your reelection hopes.

•  Sin No. 5: Lying on your résumé about degrees or military service. You can probably get away with puffing up your accounts of summer jobs as a youngster or high school sports accomplishments, but it is a no-no to get caught lying about nonexistent college graduations or service in foreign theaters. This seems so obvious that you may be surprised it even makes the list. It’s like putting shoplifting on the list. But the continuing practice of lying about these simple facts forces oppo researchers to keep checking. More than a few members of Congress have been caught in these sorts of frauds during my career. I know of one sitting member now who has misrepresented his degree, but no one ever runs against him to make it an issue.

• Sin No. 6: Aiding or comforting the enemy. I call this the Jane Fonda in Hanoi rule. The enemy can be obvious, as in terrorist sympathizers, or more subtle, as when a newcomer Republican is shown to have contributed money to Democratic campaigns in the past.

•  Sin No. 7: Using public position for private benefit. Think of the House bank checking scandal of a decade ago. Or think of some official who directs government contracts or other benefits to a family member.

A list like this is interesting for its omissions as much as for what makes the cut. Some disqualifying offenses of past eras are no longer deadly. Messy divorces, draft avoidance and youthful drug offenses are not seen as often and are probably less pernicious. Other onetime disqualifiers, including past treatments for mental illnesses or failure to acknowledge belief in God, may or may not be deadly to a candidate’s prospects.

Hill is director of Hill Research Consultants, a Texas-based firm that has polled for GOP candidates and causes since 1988.