Obama combats darker side of Internet politics
WASHINGTON -- Democrat Barack Obama has shown the stunning power of the Internet for political fundraising.
Now he is fighting its darker side as a vehicle for “smears” against his bid for the White House. Pausing from a war of words with Republican John McCain over taxes, the African-American senator Thursday unveiled an interactive website to debunk false rumors peddled by email and right-wing media outlets.
The site at www.fightthesmears.com was created after one recent, and thus far unfounded, assertion that Obama’s wife Michelle had been caught on tape slurring white people.
“We created an interactive tool to allow our supporters to fight back against these smears in the same way that they received them -- on the Internet,” campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor said.“People can upload their address books and easily send fact-based emails to their friends and family,” he said. “Just knowing the truth isn’t enough -- you have to proactively tell people the truth to fight back.” Obama’s main campaign website already has a fact-check section to refute rumors such as that the Christian candidate is a secret Muslim.
But aides said the new site went further in inviting supporters to spread the word. Political candidates have traditionally refused to acknowledge slanderous rumors for fear of giving them respectability. But given the slew of attacks being spread by email against Obama, his campaign said it had to respond in kind by harnessing the “viral” power of the Internet to add to his impressive record of online fundraising.
By going back repeatedly to online donors who give little and often, the Illinois senator has set new records with a total take so far of more than $265 million -- three times the amount raised by McCain. Another online political fund-raising phenomenon, Republican Congressman Ron Paul, announced Thursday he was bowing out of the presidential race.
AFP
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-06-14&sec=16&aid=63146
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