I thought if any organization participated in helping get people to townhalls, that it was astroturfing. Or does that only apply to the right? Because I got this in my email box yesterday:
Dear MoveOn member,
I’m a MoveOn member like you, and I’m working with the local MoveOn Council to organize an event tomorrow in Warner Robins to make our voices heard for real health care reform.The event is on Monday, Aug. 24, 2009, at 5:00 PM in Warner Robins. The location of our event is: Homer J Walker Jr Civic Center.
Here’s the event description:
Jim Marshall, a Blue Dog Democrat, will be having a Town Hall on Healthcare at the Homer Walker Center in Warner Robbins. As you may know, he is waffling on whether or not he will support public option. A group of us MoveOn members have come up with a line of questioning that will punch through his cynicism and get real on this real issue. Bring yourselves, a positive attitude, a “public option means more choices” sign, and your hope for a better America.
Please gather at the Center at 5pm so we can submit our questions early. Look for the women with the 7 Red Ballons out front. We will be with MoveOn. Again, look for the 7 Red Ballons!
I hope you can join me and other local MoveOn members. Click here for more details and to RSVP:
Yes, I’ll be there on Monday at 5 p.m.
Thanks for all you do.
–Kimberlyn C., MoveOn memberP
It's spam, and anonymous spam at that...
kowalski Monday, August 24th at 10:19AM EDT (link)Really the most important thing in this email comes at the very end, where the “author” deliberately obfuscates their identity.
If MoveOn is interested in getting people out to town hall meetings, one of the things they could at least be honorable about is using real names in the messages they send to people. Otherwise what separates this email from a spam campaign?
More importantly, if MoveOn really wants people to come out and appear at events, in person, with their real bodies in real space in real time, it’s awfully disingenuous to not even use one’s last name in the invitation.
“Kimberlyn C.” is a nonperson trying to ask real people to visit a real event. Who knows if “she” will be there? Who knows if any of them will?
Defend Liberty — Join the NRA | Live in Massachusetts? Join GOAL.
Hi, I'm Rick D.
kowalski Monday, August 24th at 10:23AM EDT (link)Hi Erick Erickson, I’m Rick D. I know that you’re an effective and passionate organizer for our cause, and that’s why I want to invite you to come to a meeting and tell all your friends to go there as well. We’re going to have a lot of people walking around in dark sunglasses, that’s how you’ll know us right from the get-go.
I’ll be there with my girlfriend, Carolyn B., so you’ll know us right away! We’ll be wearing the Ray-Bans with the little red marks on the frames.
Defend Liberty — Join the NRA | Live in Massachusetts? Join GOAL.
Hi Rick D! I'm Erick E.
Erick Erickson Monday, August 24th at 10:26AM EDT (link)You’ll know me when you see me.
I’ll be the guy in the jeans and white polo shirt carrying the protest sign!
Who will stand on either hand and keep this bridge with me?
I hear Ross E. Gorego will be there (nt).
kowalski Monday, August 24th at 11:36AM EDT (link).
Defend Liberty — Join the NRA | Live in Massachusetts? Join GOAL.
Kowalski, by their stench ye shall know them.
janis Monday, August 24th at 10:28AM EDT (link)I’ve been told they smell of rank tofu, stale weed, and cheap wine. Many may be wearing pink. And some will be muttering the word,”Racist” over and over.
It's only astroturf ...
skorrent1 Monday, August 24th at 10:57AM EDT (link)If they offer “bagels, donuts, juice and coffee” and pass out signs when you get off the chartered buses. ;<)
"Again, look for the 7 Red Ballons!"
mitrebox Monday, August 24th at 11:05AM EDT (link)I don’t know what Ballons are but it might be fun if
everyone brought 7 Red(State) Balloons.
The Thomas Crown Affair come to mind.
Tbone Monday, August 24th at 11:16AM EDT (link)nt
Envisioning when all that is Left is the Right.
Please "EVERY ONE BRING A BALLOON"
Bobcat51 Monday, August 24th at 11:31AM EDT (link)Just confuse the clowns !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJo654B-O2U&feature=related
How about a bb gun
tankertodd Monday, August 24th at 11:49AM EDT (link)What happens when MoveOn folks don’t see 7 balloons, but only 6? Will they go home? Will George Soros still pay them?
———————————
The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race - Chief Justice Roberts
I'm wondering if Soros can't afford a spell checker for his people?
Erick Brockway Monday, August 24th at 6:55PM EDT (link)Time for a bake sale.
Note to lefties;
“Don’t be afraid to see what you see.”
Ronald Reagan
Join the RedState Strike Force
Chip in to get rid of “Babs” (Yes ma’am) Boxer.
I'm with TankerTodd on this
Michael Dugas Monday, August 24th at 7:17PM EDT (link)We need some little old ladies with knitting needles to simultaneously pop all seven balloons with a back up team of old geezers who’ve got their “chew” on to take out any back up balloons that might pop up. Of course thumb tacks glued to the edges of our signs could repeatedly “accidentally” bump into those balloons adding a little pop to the whole affair.
Intro to Federalist Papers; section 5;
paragraph 4.
“…dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the zeal for a firm and efficient government.”
I only scored 17 on the Obama Test
Marshall comes out of hiding...
Toneman Monday, August 24th at 11:45AM EDT (link)My folks live in this district (formerly Jack Kingston’s…sigh), and have been trying for some time to find out whether Jim Marshall would be holding town-halls. Their calls to the DC office went unanswered and his website makes no reference to any town-hall events. Funny that they have to find it out from me in Washington through RS and indirectly Moveon.org, but they’ll definitely be there to help outnumber the left-wing radicals.
So you are admitting...
clement Monday, August 24th at 3:46PM EDT (link)to being a MoveOn member eh?
That’s ok I’m one of those NRA members that is also a Brady campaign member.
Sometimes I wonder what % of the membership of these leftist groups are just people trying to keep an eye on what they are doing.
Marshall conveniently planned his meeting...
Elizabeth Christian Tuesday, August 25th at 2:07AM EDT (link)The same night a large portion of the north end of his district but would be gathering together for a GOP BBQ fundraiser. We had between 300 and 400 people show up. A lot of us would have went to Marshall’s town hall if it had not been planned on the night of our event which had been planned and publicized for months.
Anyways, as far as moveon.org - I got to meet the astroturf at Hank Johnson’s townhall meeting. It was held at the college I graduated from and a friend from his district asked me to go with her so I did. Definitely astroturf and definitely strange!!!
Oh - one last thing on Marshall - his staff told me prior to the break about an event he was having at a local hospital in my county. I am a Registered Nurse and requested to attend but was denied because I was NOT a hospital administrator or doctor - can you say elitist and controlled environment???
Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.
~Benjamin Franklin