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Today’s rhetorical question involving the Obama campaign’s involvement in the anti-Palin astroturfing scandal.

Rhetorical because we all know the answer: it's just that some of us are still muttering about how the Master loves them, and would never betray them.

By: Moe Lane (Diary)  |  September 23rd, 2008 at 08:11 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

What is the relationship between “cnwinner” (or, as Rusty calls him, “Charles N Winner, President of Winner & Associates”), active participant in a fake anti-Palin astroturf scheme, and David Axelrod, noted participant in astroturfing? Before you complain about that last categorization, do read this post from the infamous right-wing rag Mother Jones. Translation: we’re not the only ones who noticed.

Anyway, the answer to the question is: “Actually, yeah, the two have worked together in the past.” Again, via My Pet Jawa:

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Rolling+the+dice+in+Detroit:+how+a+land-based+casino+referendum+beat…-a019601705

Despite these findings, Winner/Wagner & Mandabach partners Chuck Winner, Ethan Wagner, Paul Mandabach and Les Francis emerged from their in-house evaluation with a belief that Proposal E could be passed.

“Our conclusion that we could win was based on our analysis of sub-surface data found in the complex, 70-question strategic opinion survey,” explained Paul Mandabach, firm president. In particular, “the comparative pro/con message strength and the power of ‘yes’ on E message ‘push questions’ led us to believe that with a well-designed measure, an adroit campaign, and, of course, a little luck, Proposal E could be passed.”

…

The polling provided the framework for our “yes” on E messages. Winner/Wagner & Mandabach brought in Sipple: Strategic Communications to work with them in developing television and radio ads. They also worked with the Lansing-based Marketing Resource Group, headed by Tom Shields, to target direct mail to swing voters.
…

An ad featuring popular Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer was produced by the Mayor’s media consultant, David Axelrod. It aired in the final days of the campaign, and asked Michigan voters to help Detroit reduce its dependence on state aid.

Soooo… it appears that one of the guys involved in an astroturf attempt to smear the Republican Vice Presidential candidate for President just happens to be the head of a PR firm that has the facilities and skill set necessary to pull it off, just happens to be a maxed-out Democrat supporter of Barack Obama, and just happens to have worked on a PR project in the past with somebody who’s both one of Obama’s main guys, and a notorious proponent of astroturfing.

Who needs fantasy novels, when you’ve got the Obama campaign?

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  • jeffweimer

    cause the right blogoshpere to lose credibility. There’s enough plausible deniability in this to insulate the Obama campaign regardless of whether it is true or not or how suspiciously the players act. This is drawing us close to the level the leftoshpere has been for a while – that of tinfoil-hatted conspiracy theorists. While this looks tasty and smells like red meat, it’s not, and it will only hurt our reputation when we really DO have something to hang around Obama’s neck. Let’s just leave this one alone, okay?

  • Citizen_Kain

    Vote for Barack Obama is a vote for sustainable progress and a vote for John McCain is a vote for Armageddon. Will we as a nation wake up before the election to vote the right way, or after the election to? smell the ashes. I mean don?t get me wrong I?d love to see some fireworks but on a second thought I would rather settle for a job and a living wage.

  • Pezman

    Im so sick of how Obama tip toes around all this crap. Im sick of how he is able to get away with all of this and Im sick of him.

  • Rod_Patrick

    their orchestrated efforts are obvious to the ordinary people.

    They will pay a price in this election.

  • Moe_Lane

    NT

  • Moe_Lane

    NT

  • ToddH

    Yeah, a vote for Obama is progress…progress downward. And, you get paid what you deserve. A living wage is a socialist concept to pay undeserving workers higher wages.

  • mikefisk

    But what do “sustainable progress” and “living wage” actually mean in the real world? (More specifically the former than the latter; I still believe that living wage and minimum wage proposals are price controls that are every bit as insidious as rent control, but we can be free to disagree on that one… after all, I’m sure quite a few of the regulars here would not go as far as to back me up on that.)

    What I intend to see is a nation run on ideas, not on platitudes. On action and determination, not on abstract concepts (regardless of the loftiness of their intents). I’m not convinced that McCain will necessarily bring those things to the Oval Office, but I am convinced that Obama brings to the table exactly what I feel isn’t needed in government.

  • bk

    Let’s just make it simple and raise the minimum wage to $25/hr, so that a person slinging burgers can support a family of four above the poverty level. Doesn’t that resolve everything? Simple, right?

    On, you mean there are some other consequences to doing that? Who’da thunk it?

  • StephC

    If nothing else comes of it to link it directly to Obama himself, while nailing Axelrod, it still speaks to his judgment which has been shown to be lacking time after time; always with the same excuse of “this is not the person I knew.” What’s the count up to now of the people he didn’t know?

    Can we afford “This is not the person I knew” in the White House? If he is this faulty in his judgment now, what can he potentially do with the day to day of running a country? Is he going to sign agreements with foreign dignitaries only to find out later that the nation will pay dearly for his stupidity?

    He could sign away this nation’s sovereignty before he knew that’s what he did, with judgment like his.

    And that’s only if he’s totally innocent in these dealings, of which I have my doubts considering what he has told his supporters to do to get him elected.

  • jeffweimer

    But still.

  • johnt

    in His Holy Name ? Surely One so blessed must cast His eyes on the miscreant sons of Adam, his heart saddened by our soiled souls. Nay, he will touch the shoulder of the apostle David and sayeth ” though you deny me through your serpentine ways yet upon this rock I will build my [and Mother Michelle's ]Presidency.
    “Then will sinners know what hell can come to earth and bow before the Treasury”.

  • Moe_Lane

    We’re pushing forward on this. You don’t to be involved? Fine, you’ve given your opinion: now stay out of our way.

  • skorrent

    How about $100/hr plus the six week vacation that the French get!

  • bk