Posted on 10/05/2004 2:06:36 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Last Thursday's presidential debate was still in progress when the e-mails started trickling in from citizens around the country. At 8:28 p.m. CST, Catie Tierney of Douglas, Ga., wrote: "John Kerry did an AMAZING job tonight. His arguments were valid and very well-said. I sincerely hope he wins the election this fall. He will make a far better president than Bush."
Harvey Jones chimed in: "Have you noticed Bush's body language? He seems to be blinking an awful lot. I hear this is one of the usual signs of lying."
Next up, Anne Horton Wood of Knoxville, Tenn.: "John Kerry showed the voters why he should be president, while Bush looked and sounded like a whiny little boy who has grown old, but has never grown up."
At 9:31 p.m., the trickle of e-mails turned into a hurricane.
"I am an undecided voter in Florida," wrote Andrew Monaco, "and I wanted to let you know that I think John Kerry won the debate.... Kerry was more in command of the issues and looked more presidential. The president was flustered and distracted."
Joyce Mulazzi of Suwannee, Ga.: "John Kerry proved he is a LEADER by discussing his plans for our country and discrediting President Bush's claims. George Bush proved that he is a CHEER-LEADER by . . . stating over and over again about the hard work he's done. It's not hard work lying to us, alienating us from the rest of the world, ruining our environment, and making the rich richer."
Pam Gordon, Orchard Lake, Mich.: "Kerry was the clear winner. He was poised, knowledgeable and outlined his points clearly."
Kristine Serrano, Westminster, Co.: "I am a registered independent who has decided to vote for John Kerry. President Bush looked very unprepared for the debate. Sen. Kerry . . . possessed excellent command of every issue."
The flood of "Kerry won!" messages continued all Thursday night and well into Friday -- more than 500 in all.
And not one supported Bush.
You've got mail!
Even most Bushies concede the debate was not the president's finest moment -- but come on, 500 to 0? These e-mails seemed about as authentic as the missives I get from Congo dictator Mobuto Sese-Seko, asking my help in transferring his secret stash of millions.
News organizations throughout the country were inundated with the pro-Kerry e-mails. The Democratic National Committee acknowledges sending e-mails to supporters encouraging them to go online on debate night and write e-mails to "the editor of your local paper." On the DNC's Web site, there's even a sample letter to get you started. Dozens of pro-Kerry bloggers and Web sites also encouraged readers to flood the media. Many included lists of the e-addresses of reporters and columnists.
Bad idea. This was the wrong e-mail campaign directed at the wrong people at the wrong time.
The !#@*! factor
Think of the thousands of reporters tapping away on deadline. Cell phones being what they are, maybe these journalists are instant messaging or e-mailing with a source or a colleague or an editor, or they're online doing some quick background research. Every time a "ping" announces e-mail, they click over to it -- only to find another half-dozen unsolicited testimonials.
An organized campaign like this is also an insult. As if we're supposed to write, "According to the e-mails this journalist received, 100 percent of the country now supports John Kerry for president...."
Instead, the move backfired. The Washington Post was among those ripping the effort, noting that one e-mail praising Kerry's performance arrived in the paper's in-box more than four hours before Jim Lehrer's first question.
I sent a mini-questionnaire to about two dozen of these e-mailers. Are they involved in Democratic politics? Did they write the letter on their own? How did they come across my e-mail address?
"My friend's mother sent me a list of media outlets," said one. "I guess you could say I was encouraged, but the words, thoughts, and motivations are mine."
David Rondeau, Stoneham, Mass.: "Do I work for the Kerry campaign? No. Am I 'involved in politics' as a concerned citizen? Yes. I got the list [of e-mail addresses] from a blog.
Richard Spears: "I wrote [you] based on a suggestion from a friend that's involved in politics."
Daniela Cusack, a grad student at UC Berkeley: "Some friends said they heard it would be helpful to e-mail media outlets to make sure they accurately portray who won the debate (clearly Kerry)."
Everybody who responded to my questions was sincere, smart, polite. Many were apologetic about flooding my e-box.
No need to apologize. You didn't knock on my door or call me in the middle of the night.
But whether you're a Kerry campaign worker or just a concerned citizen, remember:
It's always a good idea to wait until the event is over before you look back on it.
E-mail: rroeper@suntimes.com. Republicans, Democrats and independents welcome.
Idiots, morons, losers, liberal-demokkkRAT filth.
Just another example of 'sheep' mentality and the MSM follows right along.
The DU had a message from Terry McAulliff last Thursday with instructions and links to send messages to the media and pollsters.
The messages from the lib nimbies are no doubt what was used for the Newsweek poll...chuckle
This a.m. c-BS was employing the "lying with stats" book to report Kerry's new internals... a really positive spin.. Kerry up in several areas, i.e. 8% on likability... but does that matter if his "we like you" quotient was 23% before Thursday? Trust wasn't part of the report...chuckle.
No need to use over-the-top invective. By their casual, deliberate lying about their experience (sending "reviews" of an event that they had yet to see), they testifed about themselves that they are conniving, lying weasels. Like their favorite candidates. If there are enough such people, their candidates will be elected unless, with some providential intervention, too many of them stay away from the polls and more show up to vote for alternative candidates.
Want a better class of candidates? Then a better class of voters will need to be produced in large numbers. That's the work of an entire generation, not a short election season, or even a full election cycle. But it's the only kind of work that will matter in the end.
Botched forms exclude many voters - Broward and Miami-Dade counties have adopted different standards***....Still, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, a Miami Democrat and co-chairman of John Kerry's Florida campaign, flew to Tallahassee Monday to urge elections officials to tell county supervisors they could accept voter registration forms even if the citizenship box is not checked. ...***
maaaaaan, don't he look like a SKERRYCROW!!!??!!!
Gee, when I saw that "The !#@*! factor" I figured it was another bunch of porn performers throwing in their support for sKerry...
LOL
An honest mistake.
It will be instructive to see how they turn on Kerry when he loses the election.
"Want a better class of candidates? Then a better class of voters will need to be produced in large numbers. That's the work of an entire generation, not a short election season, or even a full election cycle. But it's the only kind of work that will matter in the end."
Must you arise so early on a misty mountain morning to post such unwelcome truth? I haven't finished my first cup of coffee, I need some easy, pat answers at this time of day!
Busted.
Kinda like "freep this poll" ain't it?
The Pig Party
Many years ago, at a large eastern university, there was a fraternity that used to have what they called a "Pig Party" once a year. A pig party was a very cruel display of the disdain young men could have for "not pretty" young ladies.
The "party" went this way: all of the brothers would put money in a jar and then go to work to find and invite the ugliest looking girl they could find to the party. The cruel "joke" was that the girls were supposed to be soooo
happy to be invited to a party with a handsome guy that they wouldn't notice anything. It would get very elaborate at times. The guys would sometimes even rent a tux so they could make a sharper contrast with their dates.
The terrible moment always came however. There would always be a time when the first girl would realize what was up. Then the next and the next and they would start to run out in tiers. This E mail attack looks like a "pig party" that the rats pulled on the ratmedia. So eager to please their rat masters have the media been that they have given and given and given. Now the rats have actually had a "pig party" on them, and some of the smarter ratmedia are beginning to cry. The girls at the frat parties were innocent victims. The msm were willing to be used. Nevertheless, they have both been to a "pig party".
The truth hurts. Doesn't it?
Coming from Roeper, this is pretty amazing. My local paper printed 100% pro-Kerry letters to the editor the day after the debate - they're on his side anyway, so I'm sure the editors believed every letter was completely spontaneous.
too funny....perhaps we should assist with this effort a few hours before the next debate.....okay, I'm being a bit juvenile. But I'm still reminiscing, remembering the toilet flushing thread during Al Gore's phone press conference in 2000.
Darned good idea, K. Why the heck not?
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