Tonus
09-14-2011, 07:25 PM
There is some consternation over what is seen (from the right) as another snitch site (http://hotair.com/archives/2011/09/14/obamas-new-snitch-central-attackwatch/) for the President. I thought that the flag@whitehouse.gov thing was pretty tacky, as it was connected to the official email and site of the White House. Having the government directly encouraging people to snitch came off as a really bad idea, politically, and it was quickly squashed.
But this strikes me more as a campaign tool, and I'm not so sure that it's a bad idea. It might even be a bit of trailblazing. I do think that it has the potential to blow up in the Obama campaign's face, because what stops people from using the "snitch page" as a launching point for rumors instead of a place to stop them? How secure is the site against online mischief? And how will it look if they take severe action against someone who tries to prank them?
But other than that, it's a way to push your message via an outlet that is probably much better for that than TV (and IMO, definitely better than radio or print these days). It's a way to quickly respond to stories, criticisms, or rumors and a way to quickly get your message out there. It may be a way to connect with a support base that is young and hip and connected to the web almost 24/7.
But this strikes me more as a campaign tool, and I'm not so sure that it's a bad idea. It might even be a bit of trailblazing. I do think that it has the potential to blow up in the Obama campaign's face, because what stops people from using the "snitch page" as a launching point for rumors instead of a place to stop them? How secure is the site against online mischief? And how will it look if they take severe action against someone who tries to prank them?
But other than that, it's a way to push your message via an outlet that is probably much better for that than TV (and IMO, definitely better than radio or print these days). It's a way to quickly respond to stories, criticisms, or rumors and a way to quickly get your message out there. It may be a way to connect with a support base that is young and hip and connected to the web almost 24/7.