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McCain Recruiting........TROLLS!!!!!!
John McCain is actively recruiting trolls to spew his talking points on blogs.
This page on his website asks for supporters to go to various blogs and "go there, and make your opinions supporting John McCain known." It then asks those that make comments to "report the details of your comment by clicking the button below. After your comments are verified, you will be awarded points through the McCain Online Action Center."
The page gives links to blogs such as dailykos, and also gives helpful "talking points" for users to push.
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Comments (78)
Awesome! I can't wait to take those weak-ass talking points and spam them around. I'll watch with glee as my 'McCain Action Center' points rack up, they'll be almost as meaningless as the talking points.
His lameness is only exceeded by his out-of-touchiness.
May 20, 2008 11:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hmmm. Wonder where he got that idea?
May 21, 2008 9:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh good. I hope they come here because it's really depressing having Obama and Clinton supporters argue with one another.
May 20, 2008 11:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, they only have Kos listed. The drop-down menu for liberal blogs had nothing at all. So we might not be lucky enough to have the dear little visitors.
May 21, 2008 12:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Liberal blogs are just a myth to rally conservative voters.
May 21, 2008 9:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's why I posted it. We need some medication to heal the divide. Nothing better than a dose of McCainophiles to make that happen. This is going to be awesome!
May 20, 2008 11:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
So here's a question: what do we do when they get here?
May 20, 2008 11:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Give them a spanking.
Bad monkey! Bad monkey!
May 20, 2008 11:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
How about convincing them through steady and sure sheer logic that they should be backing Obama? How about poking holes in their arguments?
Or is TPM just a means to hear back one's own political thoughts for comfort?
May 21, 2008 2:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Convincing them through steady and sure sheer logic, but without unnecessarily wasting time, that they should be backing Obama?
To that end, we should put together a list of solid, factual rebuttals & openers to avoid people getting distracted.
What are logical, reality-based talking points called anyway? "Fact" has been debased as of late.
"Corrections"?
May 21, 2008 4:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Time indeed, roo. I can pop in to TPM for a look now and then, but to waste hours of skull sweat trying to teach rocks to sing is not what I'll be doing with my life.
May 21, 2008 2:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think you are going to have to come up with some kind of trolldar device. My worry is not their talking points. I think the tricksters are going to go for deception, division, and disruption among the liberal blogs. They have seen the future and will try their best to appropriate it or kill it.
May 21, 2008 8:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
No we won't.
Um, I mean -- no they won't.
May 21, 2008 8:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
TPM isn't on their list. Perhaps we're McCain's Kentucky?
May 21, 2008 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
We'll welcome them and debate them. They will be more stimulating than the sanctimonious unity preachers.
May 21, 2008 12:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think you should do some role playing and have a contest to find the four smartest TPM bloggers and commentors and appoint them to answer as McCain trolls. Once a McCain troll appears, everyone except the designated troll whisperers stops commenting until the argument is over.
May 21, 2008 3:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
I really don't think I'd have enough time, Billy.
May 21, 2008 3:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
lol!
I haven't given out the Best Ironic Comment Award today, but you're on the short list.
May 21, 2008 4:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Give them something to write mothership about.
May 20, 2008 11:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hello friends.
As most of you know I've been an Obama supporter for several months now. But I'm having a change of heart.
I've come to realize that John McCain is committed to protecting America from terrorists (ding! 1 point). John McCain is going to end the partisan bickering in Washington DC (ding! 2 points). John McCain is a maverick straight talker (ding! 5 points). I love John McCain (ding! 10 points).
I don't care if we're in Iraq for 100 years (bzzzzt -3 points) or if we put the problems of the health care crisis in the hands of insurance and drug companies (bzzzzt -10 points). John McCain has surrounded himself with Washington DC's top corporate and foreign power lobbyists (bzzzt -100 points) who know how to work the complicated system of government to get their clients nothing but the best.
Vote John McCain everyone, because who really wants to have hope or change in America?
Yoda
Portions of this comment were sponsored by John McCain's crappy website.
May 21, 2008 12:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
(calms down)
(deep breath)
(another deep breath)
Yoda, I think you're my favorite.
May 21, 2008 1:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Every time one pops up, we not only respond to that specific post, but also refute all the other talking points on the site.
May 21, 2008 12:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
This site is not his list, so we may not get to meet the McTrolls too soon.
May 21, 2008 12:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
One came by The CarpetBagger Report tonight, so hang tough Josh and Andrew and my fellow TPMers, we may one day get on the McCain Troll Radar!
May 21, 2008 12:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
They only go to relevant sites. You guys are going to have to argue with one another through November, or until your pom poms wear out.
May 21, 2008 3:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not to mention, they couldn't recognize a troll if it bit them in the ass.
May 21, 2008 4:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Whose ass did you bite?
May 21, 2008 6:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
If I recall correctly, I think I've bitten yours.
May 21, 2008 7:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, what fun!
May 21, 2008 12:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
McCainiacs!
May 21, 2008 12:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm getting antsy and impatient waiting for their arrival. This is going to be a load of fun once they get here. I'm waaaaitiiiing...
May 21, 2008 1:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think it'd be fabulous just to agree with them and thank them for their contributions. I mean, what a buzz kill that'd be..
May 21, 2008 1:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Geeze! What is the problem for having a discussion?
Isn't this an opportunity to convince the McCain supporters of some new ideas?
Wouldn't it be cool to convert *even one*?
Am I the only one who learned the principles of martial arts? Use the opponent's momentum against himself!
Bring it on! If our arguments for Obama are solid, then we will be the ones using *them* to spread the word.
May 21, 2008 2:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree in theory -- water cooler conversations and neighborly dialog is all well and good -- but the sort of person who would buy into a system for earning McCain Points is not going to be looking for any sort of give-and-take.
I wonder what the points are redeemable for...
May 21, 2008 3:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think you can redeem the points for an actual paid job as a McSpammer until November.
Anyway, this is better than when Dwight K. Schrute handed "Shrute Bucks" as a motivational tool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlKRqhQ6zQ0
May 21, 2008 3:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree, demosaur. clearthinker has a good point, too, but if someone shows up spouting word-for-word copy from McCain's website, I'm happy to give talking to it a shot ... but I wouldn't expect any real dialog. If, however, a regular person, who just happened to be republican, showed up, and wanted to talk about issues, I'd be delighted.
We did have republican visitor the other day, and I just noticed that it came back again. So far, I haven't seen any evidence that it's here to do anything more than rant at what it percieves to be the enemy; but I hope to be proven wrong.
May 21, 2008 4:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, I think the GOP "trolls" have been here for some time.
May 21, 2008 6:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, wb, you see Republicans everywhere the way the Joe McCarthy saw Communists...
May 21, 2008 1:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mc Cain Trolls - don't waste your time trying to win the points game - The infamous JakeD is already richer in points than Bill Gates is in Dollars
May 21, 2008 6:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, what's with that dude? He's everywhere.
May 21, 2008 1:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
I visited the link and today's talking points make it appear that McCain is triangulating Obama. On bipartisanship at least. Could be a clever stategy
May 21, 2008 8:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Nice concern trolling, there. (Kidding. I'm kidding.)
Seriously, just to be nitpickyass about terminology, isn't this a recruitment ad for sock puppets rather than one for trolls?
Granted, however, that if any College Republican true believers sign up--and they will, because its much safer and easier than supporting their war by joining the military--that boundary between sock puppet and troll is going to get crossed pretty quickly. They can't help it. Dirty tricksterism is more deeply engrained into the Fratboy/CR psyche than toilet training.
May 21, 2008 9:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
My apologies to RonBurgandy - I didn't notice your post on this topic until I'd submitted mine :(
Thank you for helping to spread the word - should be a fun season. I'll be working on a framework, as a btw, that those of us here who tend to have the most fun with our intrepid performers will be able to use to coordinate efforts during the general - including "outreach" programs with some of the right-leaning sites the McCain campaign so kindly points their competitors toward.
Will post details as they're available. :)
May 21, 2008 10:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
No apology necessary. Like you said, it should be a fun GE season. I know you will have your arsenal at the ready when or if they come.
May 21, 2008 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
This tactic isn't much of a surprise - some of the lobbying firms that McCain is close to already have perfected this tactic for other issues and legislation. Complete with talking points, which blogs to visit, how to respond (or not respond) to anyone that contacts you because of your posts.
The Schrute Bucks angle, however, was not included as an additional incentive.
May 21, 2008 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
PJ - I swear you look like the identical twin of this guy I know. Do you have family in CT?
May 21, 2008 10:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Nope...all my family's from PA. Whether that's good or bad, I leave others to judge.
May 21, 2008 11:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good in my book...grew up outside of Pittsburgh and my entire family has lived in PA for ages. :)
Well, maybe it's evidence of the theory that everyone has an identical twin out there somewhere.
May 21, 2008 12:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
John McCain will put the national interest ahead of partisanship, he will work with anyone who sincerely wants to get this country moving again. If John McCain is elected President, the era of the permanent campaign will end. The era of problem solving will begin.
May 21, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
15 points to Bango!
Next please...
May 21, 2008 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
I take that back. No points for you, Bango; there's no way to report pro-McCain comments posted at TPM. You must choose from blogs listed on the pull-down menu on the "web communicator" form.
Please try again another time. Meanwhile, may I suggest Katy's Conservative Corner? Michele Malkin? Stay Red Kansas? Thank you for participating.
May 21, 2008 12:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Touche
May 21, 2008 1:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just curious - what do those points get you?
On another subject, as I was poking around the McCain website a minute ago, I noticed that one of the ways to earn points is through volunteer work. They have listed among the suggested organizations for volunteer work "Duck's Unlimited" and "Civil Air Control": maybe they should consider awarding points to someone for proofreading their website.
I'll give them credit though for encouraging their supporters to earn points (whatever that means) by volunteering with organizations like Catholic Charities, which isn't exactly a hot-bed of right-wing ideology, as least by my limited (and not so recent) experience. I'd love to see some of those young republicans take a break from their trollery to interact with some real people - who knows what might happen!
May 21, 2008 11:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm sure Obama trolls will beat any McCain trolls any day.
May 21, 2008 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think we need to Obama troll over at redstate! :)
May 21, 2008 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Red State can't take dissent. I've been banned a couple of times. I think my grand total was three posts before they blocked me.
You've got to be more covert than I to pull the Red State recon off...
May 21, 2008 6:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
There's nothing wrong with McCain's blog strategy in fact I think it's brilliant! I'm going to one of those other blogs right now to explain how his fiscal policy of cutting out $21 billion a year in earmarks will cure our annual $300+ billion deficits. Making Bush's tax cuts permanent will help us grow our way out of debt! We have 27 years of proof and $9 trillion dollars worth of federal debt to show it works. These policies are as sound as the dollar and I'm gonna tell the world!
We need to keep fighting in Iraq until every last Iraqi who is fighting back is either dead, not fighting anymore or moves to Saudi Arabia or Iran to blow stuff up. We need to keep bribing all sides and arming the opposing militias to the teeth to prevent civil war because as any general (active or retired) with Pentagon approval to speak will tell you it's the only way to stop a bloodbath when we leave in four to ten thousand years. McCain's flexible, never yielding, Iraq policy acknowledges yet denies the facts on the ground in a way that most Americans will see keeps us as safe as houses from terrorists.
As Senator Blutarksi said, was it over when the Iraqis bombed the World Trade Center? Hell No! Who's with me?
May 21, 2008 12:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Duck's Unlimited" = The Duck family of Prescott AZ are famous for prodigious reproductive habits. Jack and Henrietta Duck have 12 kids and 57 grandchildren.
"Civil Air Control": It's one of McCain's little known cost saving measures, he intends to replace the FAA with unpaid volunteers.
May 21, 2008 12:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Please define "troll" and "concerned troll." I have been in the jungle these many years and am unfamiliar with the terminology this new technology has spawned. Someone called me a "concern troll" once and I didn't think it was a complement.
May 21, 2008 1:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
A troll is someone on a discussion board whose sole purpose is to disrupt the board. So, post completely irrelevant but obnoxious comments that derail conversation is, at the very least, troll-like behavior. As is cutting and pasting talking points from a blog for McCain points.
A concern troll is a wonderful breed that presents itself as a participator citizen but whose real goal is to raise doubts about the candidate. There was a rather legendary case of it in New Hampshire in '06, a candidate's staffer was found concern trolling on his rival's blog. As in, "Oh, I'm so worried guys, I mean, I really support Hodes but Bass is such a strong candidate and Hodes just doesn't relate to people well."
A concern troll for Hillary or McCain might say, "What's Obama going to do about the undeniable fact that he can't win white voters? And his preacher, I mean, I'm a huge Obama supporter, but I just don't think the average joe is going to like that."
May 21, 2008 2:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
We had a really good one around here a while back. I think it must have been a college class or something. Very organized in it's responses, almost like a bot, but more flexible. I lot of yes buts. Very entertaining.
May 21, 2008 3:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Performance Art 247: Concern Trolling.
May 21, 2008 8:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Coming next year to Bob Jones U!
May 22, 2008 5:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
John McCain will put the national interest ahead of partisanship by squandering more soldiers lives, trillions of more taxpayer dollars, and the rest of the nation's prestige in Iraq because it's in the national interest to restore the Republican party to it's triumphant position. Or at least pin the blame for losing the war on defeatocrats.
He will work with anyone who sincerely wants to get this country moving again but will scream epithets in the faces of anyone who dares disagree with him.
If John McCain is elected President, the era of the permanent campaign will end and if you don't like it the era of presidential elections every four years might end too. So the era of problem solving will begin. Don't you want to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem?
May 21, 2008 1:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I usually get my McCain Points by looking under the bottle caps of delicious Coca-Cola products, but I guess trolling will work too.
I'm totally saving my points for the skateboard! What are you guys going to get?!
May 21, 2008 1:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think most people here are missing the point. It maybe that GOP bloggers will just do their best to undermine the dems, not spout BS talking points about McCain's record or promises.
May 21, 2008 1:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Everyone will know what they're up to. So far we've had GOP trolls mixing in with the legit Clinton and Obama supporters to sew disagreements. Once the nomination is settled, it will be clear that the negative comments are coming from the other side.
May 21, 2008 2:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
They'll only go where there are people who might make a difference in the outcome of the election. Not likely to waste time here.
May 21, 2008 3:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Like daily kos?
May 21, 2008 5:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, they probably know Kos tried to organize an operation chaos type of operation to keep Romney in the race. Maybe got him on their radar. In 2004 they went after MoveOn in a very organized way, mainly through FreeRepublic. TPM organizes research more than activism. If TPM starts promoting activities that could hurt McCain, it may get some attention. Otherwise, you'll probably see some drive bys or maybe a resident troll or two who likes to pull someone's chain around here, but not organized attacks.
May 21, 2008 6:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
I, for one, am shocked. Shocked. We can't let these trolls infiltrate our site. Democratic unity!!
May 21, 2008 3:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're not the real gotalife.
May 21, 2008 8:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, gaming TPM's user name mechanism has been an interesting way to defuse the real trolls. How many faux gotalife's have we seen? Then there's the satirists... I loved PistonMoaned's GoatLife sock puppet. ;-)
May 21, 2008 8:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
We all do what we can.
May 21, 2008 11:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, we need smart, unity forming thinkers like gotalife and Otto F (Who are very intelligent and very well read I might add.) to make sure we can overcome the McCain Trolls.
May 21, 2008 3:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sort of like junk yard dogs. Our trolls have pretty well marked their territory by now. I doubt they're going to let strays take it away.
May 21, 2008 6:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excuse me, but how is asking people to spread your message recruiting trolls?
May 21, 2008 10:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's not.
Like I said, they couldn't recognize a troll if it bit them in the ass.
May 21, 2008 10:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
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