Posted on 09/17/2008 9:30:37 AM PDT by IrishMike
Much of Barack Obama's political success can be traced to a database listing contact information for millions of people, a tool that has proved invaluable in raising record sums of money and organizing a national volunteer network.
Now Obama's presidential campaign is increasingly using the list to beat back media messages it does not like, calling on supporters to flood radio and television stations when those opposed to him run anti-Obama ads or appear on talk shows.
It did so as recently as Monday night, when it orchestrated a massive stream of complaints on the phone lines of Tribune Co.-owned WGN-AM in Chicago when the radio station hosted author David Freddoso, who has written a controversial book about the Illinois Democrat.
The latest use of the database, called the Obama Action Wire, is proving yet another new and potentially powerful tactic in the closing weeks of a campaign that has already been dominated by Internet-based messages and media.
The aggressive rebuttals are very much informed by Obama's determination to avoid being victimized by the sort of attacks leveled against Sen. John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee stung by TV ads run by a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
"The Action Wire serves as a means of arming our supporters with the facts to take on those who spread lies about Barack Obama and respond forcefully with the truth, whether it's an author passing off fiction as biography, a Web site spreading baseless conspiracy theories or a TV station airing an ad that makes demonstrably false claims," said Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt.
Sen. John McCain's campaign uses the Internet for fundraising and organization but does not have anything like Obama's alert system to bombard a specific media outlet in real time.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
I'll give them if Rush won't.
—Go to your local office and volunteer to make phone calls for at least 2 hours this week.
—Go next week and volunteer to knock on doors
—Make sure you have a McCain/Palin sign in your yard
—Write letters to local media using specific points on why McCain/Palin would be a better choice.
—Contribute money
“...the Obama Action Wire, is proving yet another new and potentially powerful tactic in the closing weeks of a campaign that has already been dominated by Internet-based messages and media....The aggressive rebuttals”
LOL! Those Action Wires are a joke. I listened to both WGN programs were there “action wires” were issued to Obama supports which urged them to call in an complain. It was hilarious. All of the callers sounded like complete idiots. They all read the exact same talking points of the Obama email. And when the radio show host would try to probe a little deeper with simple questions like “can you give me a specific example of where Mr. Kurtz lied?”, the Obamabots would stammer and stutter like fools with no answer except things like “oh, you know what I’m talking about.”
These Obama action wires are a complete joke. I belive they do more harm than good. Well unless Obama is looking to show his lack of support for the first ammendment and if he is looking to show his supporters are fools, then he is succeeding.
Count me in
Right bomber wing ready on the flight deck!
I think all of this is a good idea.We need to consider our upcoming FReepathon and make sure it is fully funded as soon as possible.I am hoping that it doesn’t run into the election in Nov.
ping me. The worst potential disaster that this nation has ever seen cannot become president.
I’m in!
I’m in... someone let me know when this is organized.
LLS
I want to keep my constitutional capitalist liberties.
If one or both of you are establishing an Action Wire ping list, sign me up.
I just signed up for the Action Wire emails over at:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/ActionWire
It was such fun. Setting up a fake gmail account with obama’s name in it, registering, etc. This should be worth lots of laughs.
I’ve been trying to figure out some way to get the McCain Campaign to do this very thing using Free Republic as an online “counterstrike” weapon against Obama’s propaganda, but can’t seem to get anyone’s attention there concerning this idea. Very frustrating.
I thought about that last night when reading an article. How would we proceed?
There's a lot of technical and trade talent on this forum that the McCain campaign can use to combat Team Obama and its nasty tactics. Case in point, this past weekend's discussion and analysis of Charlie's Gibson's "interrogation" of Governor Palin. A lot of good material came out of that discussion that the McCain camp could have used but didn't.
This really will need to be something from the Grassroots. I see by catching up on the posts everyone wants this. I will look later but maybe if several of us have the ping list and do this, it could be successful, especially if we triangulate our message.
I’ll agree with that. There are many things I read here that I would want them to use that they don’t.
You're right. But I disagree with the term lightweights.
Obama's strategy has always been to eliminate the opposition. Initially it was to disqualify the actual opponent. He now attempts to silence the voices of opponent's supporters through speech control, (altering the rules of engagement by determining what is off-limits, investigation and direct intimidation of bloggers, enforcing control of free speech via the Fairness Doctrine.)
I have no doubt that he intends to literally "eliminate" all opposition as his ideals morph through elevated position and surging power.
Forgive the animated comparison, but I see him as Ursula the sea witch from The Little Mermaid...an evil, burgeoning, blatantly oppressive force.
I will help with the Ping List
Our first bit of action..... Happliy the Huffington Post allows comments. might I suggest the use of suck an asset?? LOL
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/les-gara/round-2-of-mccain-trooper_b_127101.html
Liberals try to Spin their “Troopergate” story.
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