June 25, 2004

How to use Bush's tool against his campaign
by Liza Sabater

Billmon, the genius behind Whiskey Bar posted back in February a clever anti-Bush tactic that, at the time, could not have come at a better time, given it appeared on Carnaval (Mardi Gras) day.

In Whiskey Bar: Letter Rip, Billmon describes the nifty "Letter to the Editor" tool found on the Shrub's election site at GeorgeWBush.com :: Write News Editors.

What better way than to use an oppressive tool to ridicule or even attack the oppressor?

[...] You just enter your zip code and the site automatically generates a menu of regional newspapers -- helpfully ranked both by proximity and circulation.

You pick the papers you want, type in your letter -- or cut and paste the paragraphs of boilerplate Bush propaganda helpfully provided -- then click, and voila! your letter to the editor is on its way to every newspaper on your list.

I'm told, although I haven't checked myself, that this is a much more sophisticated feature than anything you'll find on the DNC or the Kerry campaign's web sites -- and even more technologically impressive than Bush 2004's fully robotized campaign blog. I'm also told by someone who's tested the letter-to-the-editor tool that the e-mails it generates do not identify the letter sender as a Bush supporter (which, in light of what I have in mind, is actually more the pity.)

Now it occurred to a Whiskey Bar reader that anybody -- including Democrats, progressives, gays, brights and other second-class citizens -- could use this GOP-funded tool to write and send our own letters to the editors, courtesy of the Bush campaign.

Posted by Liza Sabater in Activism, Activism, Required Reading
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Julie Sadler stumbled upon c u l t u r e k i t c h e n: How to use Bush's tool against his campaign. From there she went on to Whiskey Bar: Letter Rip and put his plan to good use. She sent a letter to the editor... [More...]

Found inAugust 14, 2004 05:06 PM

Say it loud, say it proud!