McCain Rewards Online Commenters

Washington Post: Campaign Sets Up Program For Supporters To Spread Talking Points On Web Site Comment Boards

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Paul Farhi.

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Spread John McCain's official talking points around the Web -- and you could win valuable prizes!

That, in essence, is the McCain campaign's pitch to supporters to join its new online effort, one that combines the features of "AstroTurf" campaigning with the sort of customer-loyalty programs offered by airlines, hotel chains, restaurants and the occasional daily newspaper.

On McCain's Web site, visitors are invited to "Spread the Word" about the presumptive Republican nominee by sending campaign-supplied comments to blogs and Web sites under the visitor's screen name. The site offers sample comments ("John McCain has a comprehensive economic plan . . .") and a list of dozens of suggested destinations, conveniently broken down into "conservative," "liberal," "moderate" and "other" categories. Just cut and paste.

Activists and political operatives have used volunteers or paid staff to seed radio call-in shows or letters-to-the-editor pages for years, typically without disclosing the caller or letter writer's connection to a candidate or cause. Like the fake grass for which the practice is named, such AstroTurf messages look as though they come from the grass roots but are ersatz.

McCain's campaign has taken the same idea and given it an Internet-era twist. It also has taken the concept one step further.

People who sign up for McCain's program receive reward points each time they place a favorable comment on one of the listed Web sites (subject to verification by McCain's webmasters). The points can be traded for prizes, such as books autographed by McCain, preferred seating at campaign events, even a ride with the candidate on his bus, known as the Straight Talk Express, according to campaign spokesman Brian Rogers.

"Anytime you're getting supporters activated into online communities or taking other actions to spread the word, that's a win," Rogers says.

"Reward points" or other incentives for political work aren't a new concept. The Republican National Committee started a rewards program for volunteer fundraisers several years ago. More recently, Barack Obama's campaign has given small donors and volunteers the chance to win a lunch or dinner with the candidate. (Obama's campaign doesn't have a comment program similar to McCain's.)

More chillingly, dissidents alleged earlier this year that the Chinese government has paid Chinese citizens token sums for each favorable comment about government policies they post in chat rooms and on blogs.

Offering incentives to spread presidential campaign rhetoric online makes sense, says Michael Cornfield, an adjunct professor at George Washington University and an expert in political management online. "Now that social media have expanded citizen comment opportunities far beyond the old letter to the editor and talk show call-in, campaigns should take advantage," he says.

But Cornfield (an executive with a company that markets political-organizing software) says McCain's program has a couple of bugs.

The first, he says, is the lack of disclosure instructions to participants. To rise above AstroTurf -- a practice considered ethically dubious by many political operatives -- Cornfield says participants should use their real names and identify themselves as part of a campaign participation program (as in, "I'm Mike Cornfield, and I'm part of the McCain Action Team").

He also says "germaneness" is an issue: "Talking points are fine, but a comment should refer specifically to something that was said or written previously in the thread where it is intended to appear."

McCain should reconsider the program for an entirely different reason, says Zach Exley, who directed online organizing for John Kerry's Democratic presidential campaign in 2004. Both the Kerry campaign and the GOP's national committee, he said, had underwhelming results when they offered incentives of various kinds to volunteers.

"This stuff never works," Exley says. "People in politics aren't motivated by points. That's not what gets people to act. They're motivated by genuinely caring about the issues."

Indeed, he adds, some volunteers resent points and incentives because they think it demeans or devalues their work.

This might explain why some of the Web sites targeted by McCain's program haven't noticed much of a surge in pro-McCain comments.

David Wissing, the founder of the Hedgehog Report, a blog about Maryland politics, said his comment traffic has been running about 60 percent conservative and 40 percent liberal in recent weeks, which is typical. Wissing said he keeps an eye on reader comments -- he recently banned a poster for using multiple screen names -- and hasn't seen postings that use similar or identical language, usually a telltale sign of an AstroTurf program.

Another political blogger, David Adams, who runs Kentucky-centric Kyprogress.org, was unaware that McCain's campaign had listed his site as a target for comments until he was told about it by a reporter Friday. He questioned how much good such messages would do in any case. Kentucky, he points out, is a solidly Republican state that probably will vote overwhelmingly for McCain in the fall.

"Our eight votes are going to McCain no matter what he or Barack Obama says," Adams said of the electoral college.

[bhappy2-2]

Obama isn''t even legally eligible to run for President. Check out this article. http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/art
icle/4375

At least McCain is eligible.

[eddynewhope]

"I just despise Obama and any US citizen who would consider voting for him."

Posted by liberty_1776 at 12:46 AM : Aug 08, 2008

The irony of your name "Liberty" is funny, but also sad and indicative of just how far we have drifted from the ideals that the founding fathers fought for in 1776. No matter. You and your kinds''s days in the main stream are numbered.

[eddynewhope]

"I just despise Obama and any US citizen who would consider voting for him."

Posted by liberty_1776 at 12:46 AM : Aug 08, 2008

The irony of your name "Liberty" is funny, but also sad and indicative of just how far we have drifted from the ideals that the founding fathers fought for in 1776. No matter. You and your kinds''s days in the main stream are numbered.

[eddynewhope]

Bwaaaaah! All the McBushies are cashing in there McCain Frequent Liar Miles. LOL

[wardoglrs]

I have been bad mouthing this guy ever since he started running and i never ounce got a check. Typical politician Lie''s and more lie''s. :[

[element51]

liberty_1776....Are you a certified psychologist? I thought you must be as you have such a total insight into Obama''s mind. As it happens, I am white and I met Senator Obama a couple of weeks ago and I can assure you he did not hate me. He was open and warm and I felt very comfortable with him. I have been around for a lot of years and I know a phoney when I see one. Obama is not a phoney. I''m posting a response because I am sick of hearing nothing but lies and smears from people like you. I really don''t give a dam about your hatred of Obama. It means nothing to me. But I do resent your constant snotty unproven comments. If you want to disagree with Obama''s policies please do so as you have every right to but character assassination serves no purpose. So why don''t you stop it?

[element51]

liberty_1776...So you "just despise" anyone who would vote for Obama. That statement reveals so much about the kind of person you are. You basically hate me because I have a different opinion than you. It is people like you who are the cause of many of this country''s problems. Instead of wanting to work together to do what is best for the country, you want to spend your time hating people you don''t even know. I do feel sorry for you. I would much rather spend my time being happy and enjoying the great life I have. And I do not despise or hate you simply because we have differing opinions.

[lordmi]

to liberty_1776 - I do not think, we gave You the right to say on behalf of us, Citizens.
When You pretend to speak out of the stupid ones - even so, speak from Yourself Your stupidity. Speak it out, so we can laugh and have a proof - there are just Idiots, supporting old Ruin McBush.

Just them.
Amin

[lordmi]

Old Ruin with low culture, education and lack of ideas , now he want to give away cookies.
Well.
I do not care about McBush''s cookies. Seems they are same old and useless as McBush himself.

[johnbush2-2009]

Don''t believe the main stream media is biased in favor of Obama.

Watch Andrea Mitchell, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent for NBC news. She leaves no doubt that she would like to see Obama elected. Her always positive coverage of everything Obama did was bias and unprofessional.

This is why 50 per cent of Independent voters are sick and tired of hearing about Obama. There will be a backlash against Obama if this continues.

[clovisbuford]

" I just despise Obama and any US citizen who would consider voting for him.
Posted by liberty_1776 at 12:46 AM : Aug 08, 2008"
coming to a post office near you , or a church , or college campus , where the flag is flying half mast

[clovisbuford]

I believe Obama is hiring Canadians and Europeans to post his "talking points" on the net. B. J. Clinton is the one who came up with the concept of "talking points." And you liberal dipsh*ts ate them up, just like you do with Obama!
Posted by liberty_1776 at 12:51 AM : Aug 08, 2008
so lets see you are engaging people to your side with reasoned argument , and your most potent one is calling people dipsh*ts .. hmm intersting take there bucko . Most people would have talked about how we had a 9 trillion dollar deficit and how the Bush tax cuts maed it deeper , how the republicans deifict this year alone was 1/2 a trillion dollars . How this is the first war fought on credit and chinese credit at that . How there are 43 million americans without health insurance . you know real issues , $20 a barrel oil when GW took office $127 right now .. small issues to americans in the country club I realize ,but important to some of us . The subprime crisis , unsafe food ,toys ,etc. you know issues ,, but Dipsh*t is important I guess .. somehow

[richiepear]

Pretty interesting, but it seems like a smart strategy given the results of a study published today that showed he is losing the blogosphere message by a 2:1 margin.
Full story on the huffington post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/07/mccains-internet-muscle-r_n_117537.html

[nmsuip]

I will not vote for John McCain
Not even for a ride in his plane
I will not read his stupid spam
I cannot stand him Sam I Am...

[liberty_1776]

I believe Obama is hiring Canadians and Europeans to post his "talking points" on the net. B. J. Clinton is the one who came up with the concept of "talking points." And you liberal dipsh*ts ate them up, just like you do with Obama!

[liberty_1776]

Truthfully, I don''t even particularly like McCain, but I absolutely despise the thought of Obama being elected president. It physically sickens me to think that anti-American icon Obama might become president. Obama is the opposite of what makes the USA strong. He is a weak, self-hating individual. He hates half of his own DNA, and he sure as hell hates me and all the other white people in this country. I post responses because I get sick of hearing only the left-wing national media''s side of the story! I don''t give a d@mn about McCain. I just despise Obama and any US citizen who would consider voting for him.

[nmsuip]

Yes. We call this "spam."

[elz523]

What concerns me the most is Obama collecting contributions from Hamas and other radical extremists through his online website.

Barack Obama''''s Muslim outreach adviser Mr. Mazen Asbahi, who is a Chicago lawyer, has already resigned from the US Democratic presidential candidate''''s campaign after reports emerged about a previous link to an imam with ties to Egypt''''s Muslim Brotherhood which apparently teaches radical islam to children to hate America.

Mazen Asbahi stepped down from Obama''''s campaign on Monday, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal newspaper published on Wednesday.

Obamas campaign has probably been receiving online donations from foreign countries for some time now and they need to be fully investigated. I emailed my concerns to the Federal Election Commission demanding that they do a full audit and I hope that you email them too! The extent to which Obamas campaign has been infiltrated by Muslims with direct ties to radical Islamists just recently is extremely troubling.


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Posted by praiseallah1 at 08:43 PM : Aug 07, 2008


How many points do you get for this garbage? Do you get that nice new bedsheet to put over your face?

[Stratmaster7]

obama8years, who is your source? If you quote the source, and then google them, you will see that the writer is a known neocon and the rag reporting is a known neocon pub. If the story is even accurate, it even states that all the donations were returned. There are other (also unsupported) web rags claiming it was a set-up.

[obama8years]

The Edwans'' donations are listed in FEC filings and election filing websites.

The Edwans are a large clan that include top Hamas supporters, according to WND. The two brothers praised Obama and admitted giving the money online to his campaign. They said they are not U.S. citizens or green card holders but are citizens of "Palestine."

They said the money they gave to the campaign was to buy T-shirts, even though the Obama sells them for about $20/each and the going price for T-shirts in Gaza is less than a 10th of that price. In an interview with WND''s Aaron Klein, the brothers reportedly changed their story repeatedly.