McCain Campaign Offers Rewards For Turn-Key Comments 375
According to a story at the Washington Post, John McCain's presidential campaign is offering more than moral suasion to fire people up for a McCain presidency; they're also offering ready-made snippets of rhetoric for interested supporters to supply under their own names in public comments to online news sources and forums. Such pre-written commentary by itself is neither new nor necessarily nefarious, but it seems a bit off-kilter that prolific commenters are eligible for rewards — not just campaign swag like hats and stickers, but higher-ticket items like a ride with McCain on his campaign bus. Probably a script could be whipped up to compare the canned suggestions on the site with "grassroots" comments on political news sites around the web.
What? (Score:3, Funny)
Does this mean that people can now quote Fox News without having to deal with fair use rationale?
The Issue: Jobs for America (Score:5, Funny)
John McCain has a comprehensive economic plan that will destroy millions of good American jobs, ensure our neighboring nation's energy security, get the government's budget and spending practices continuing on their existing successful path, and bring relief to Chinese consumers. Click to learn how the McCain Economic Plan will help bring reform, prosperity and peace to America. Read More... [barackobama.com]
Let me be the first to say... (Score:3, Funny)
What's "higher-ticket" mean? (Score:5, Funny)
Huh? I'd sure rather have a hat or a sticker than ride in the same vehicle as some old guy. Have you smelled an old person? It's not pretty; like a combination of mothballs, fried bacon, a Catholic church, talcum powder, and the dust underneath the couch
Re:first! (Score:5, Funny)
John McCain has a comprehensive economic plan that will create millions of good American jobs, ensure our nation's energy security, get the government's budget and spending practices in order, and bring relief to American consumers. Read each of the sections below to learn how the McCain Economic Plan will help bring reform, prosperity and peace to America.
GIVE ME MONEY PLEASE!!!! *Sticks out hand*
Re:first! (Score:5, Funny)
first?
I hope for McCain's sake this isn't an example of the ready-made rhetoric. It lacks conviction. Also, it should really have McCain's name in the snippet.
Try something like the following:
McCain first!
See? Much better.
Yeah.. well worth it. (Score:5, Funny)
If there's anything that will swing my vote at an election it's a comment posted on someone's blog. Policies schmolicies, I want to see what the public think!
*goes to look at what the public think*
Ok, I saw what the public think, and now I want the winner of America's Got Talent to be president.
Here's mine (Score:1, Funny)
Re:What's "higher-ticket" mean? (Score:5, Funny)
It said you'd get a ride on the bus, not which McCain you'd be riding [google.com].
Happy Happy John John (Score:1, Funny)
John McCain, he's not just an angrier more bitter Bob Dole.
Re:first! (Score:5, Funny)
you have enough points for a McCain 2008 bumper sticker, a few more points and you can qualify for a McCain 2008 coffee mug
Re:This is going to end badly (Score:5, Funny)
Anecodatal evidence suggests that there is a hive mind forming.
The correct term is groupthink. You need to get on the same page as everybody else.
Highest karma winner... (Score:1, Funny)
...gets to run FEMA.
Re:What's "higher-ticket" mean? (Score:3, Funny)
In the light of recent events [jalopnik.com], I'd rather not ride their bus at all.
Re:Am I missing something? (Score:2, Funny)
Yeah? Well... (Score:5, Funny)
Really. You think a 20-year-old bricklayer smells BETTER at the end of the day than talcum powder? Man, you live a sheltered life.
I don't know... (Score:5, Funny)
His $0.10 titanium tax doesn't go too far enough! Also, how will he guarantee enough brain slugs for everyone? Right now, they barely have enough to keep the Republican party alive! What will they do to guarantee our independence from foreign brain slugs? And they're definitely not doing enough to protect our right to own Doomsday Devices!
I'm mad enough that I might register with the Apathy party, but I can't be bothered. Besides, everyone knows that the Hypnobama will win this election.
All hail the Hypnobama!
I'm not saying McCain's out of touch.... (Score:5, Funny)
Yes! (Score:4, Funny)
I could REALLY use one of those tire gauges!
Here goes (Stephen Colbert style):
McCain - he's hip! (at least none broken yet)
McCain - he's got the energy to fix this country! (who better than the Maverick who had a hand in breaking things, but I'm sure it was all under protest.)
McCain - Experience to lead, experience where it matters! (He knows how to cover his mistakes, and where others have their sins buried)
McCain - Because Obama would raise taxes on real Americans! (The super rich face such horrible burdens already - they're the realest Americans!)
McCain - He won't compromise our national security! (It's not the damn president's job to negotiate peace with UnAmericans)
McCain - He's earned our respect, he's the leader we deserve now! (Certainly the change we deserve - stay the course! Four more years!)
Ryan Fenton
Re:This is going to end badly (Score:4, Funny)
Well that's an improvemnt over the current guy (Score:4, Funny)
Re:This is going to end badly (Score:5, Funny)
End badly?
I recognize there are serious issues at stake in this election, and serious differences between the candidates. And we will argue about them, as we should.
But it should remain an argument among friends; each of us struggling to hear our conscience, and heed its demands; each of us, despite our differences, united in our great cause, and respectful of the goodness in each other.
How that can end badly? Especially since John McCain has a comprehensive economic plan that will create millions of good American jobs, ensure our nation's energy security, get the government's budget and spending practices in order, and bring relief to American consumers.
Re:This is going to end badly (Score:3, Funny)
Just like Bush did! Yay!!
Re:This is going to end badly (Score:3, Funny)
How that can end badly? Especially since a politician has a comprehensive economic plan that will create millions of good local jobs, ensure our nation's energy security, get the government's budget and spending practices in order, and bring relief to local consumers.
I've rolled your comment back to the template.
Congratulations on your ride on the tour bus!
McCain for President (Score:5, Funny)
I admit it is a bit over the op, but if we are in a world where millions of dollars can be spent comparing a magna cum laude Havard Graduate to Paris Hiton, anything goes.
McCain was not born in the US but is considered a US citizen anyway, unlike many who are born in the US that the republican party wants to consider foreign.
As a proud third generation employee of the government, McCain is uniquely experienced to be president. His third generation military status uniquely places him to find the best government military solutions for every problem, without the distractions of diplomacy or allowing the free market to work. Like the current president, he entered higher education on a legacy, thus putting him in touch with the problems of the elite he represents. Also like the current president, he has a storied military carreer, flying planes around the world. At one point his plane got shot down and he no longer flew planes, but was kept in a POW camp. He was tortured for some time during the captivity. This experience wad apparently not bad enough to make him unconditionally opposed to torture.
He also has a unique perspective on government medical care. As a third generation government employee, he has spent his entire life with free access to the government medical facilities. Although he is 71, and claims to be in good health, he experience has shown him that government medical care is not good enough for the general populous, so is absolutely opposed to it.
Some might think a third generation government employee may not be the best president for a country based on free enterprise, but wait. His second wife, whom he married soon after divorcing his first wife, is the chair of one of the largest beer distributors in the country. As such, McCain has experience with the perks of the corporate life, like luxury corporate jets, which he used to ferry himself between campaign stops during his bid to become president. He understands the compromises that must be made when growing a business, like how many alcohol related teen deaths are acceptable to maintain a certain profit margin.
As we can see McCain is uniquely qualified to understand the needs of the nation. The military can solve all problems. The health care system that has kept him so healthy is not adequate of capable of doing the same for the masses. American Corporations has special problems and must be given significant leeway in their right to earn a profit.
Re:I'm not saying McCain's out of touch.... (Score:3, Funny)
Loved the Paris Hilton quote:
Okay, 'fess up. (Score:2, Funny)
Which one of you told McCain about the internet?
Ride on the McCain bus? No thanks. . . . (Score:3, Funny)
I think I'd be afraid to ride on that bus:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/631908.html [miamiherald.com]
Re:first! (Score:5, Funny)
If you can get that message on 100 blog comments, you get to give Cindy McCain a Cleveland Steamer.
See, I've learned how to engage in a political discussion of the issues without getting personal - from the John McCain Campaign.
The big question (Score:4, Funny)
Re:first! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:This is going to end badly (Score:5, Funny)
I do, however, find it interesting that this astroturfing is being done so publicly. Before the sources were always hidden, as if the originators seemed ashamed of it.
Yet another example of McCain's openness and honesty. ;-)
Re:I don't know... (Score:4, Funny)
Farnsworth: "Damn straight! Today the mad scientist can't get a doomsday device, tomorrow it's the mad grad student! Where will it end?!"
NRA Guy: "Amen, brother. I don't go anywhere without my mutated anthrax. For duck huntin'."
Re:Yeah.. well worth it. (Score:5, Funny)
Why not? The Constitution is really more like guidelines than actual rules and stuff.
Re:first! (Score:5, Funny)
GIVE ME MONEY PLEASE!!!! *Sticks out hand*
Dude, it doesn't work if you include that in your pre-made rhetoric.
Include?!?!
That IS his pre-made rhetoric.
Re:It seems to me (Score:1, Funny)
That's okay; Obama changes the meaning of words faster the Bill Clinton did. I'm impressed; "look" now means "qualified", etc.
Re:This is going to end badly (Score:5, Funny)
I believe the au courant technical term for this is "cloud computing".
Re:This is going to end badly (Score:0, Funny)
You speak a foreign language, and yet you expect to be taken seriously when commenting on American politics?
Re:This is going to end badly (Score:3, Funny)
Dear anonymous cowerd,
John McCain supports cloud computing because he feels a strong environment is necessary to the security of the United States.
Only with could computing can we finally break the grip of foreign oil. In the post-9/11 world, energy security is economic security.
John McCain is a true American Hero. I hope you'll support John McCain as much as John McCain supports cloud computing .