It's not just McCain who does not understand the Internet, it's his operatives as well:
Spread John McCain's official talking points around the Web -- and you could win valuable prizes!
That, in essence, is the McCain campaign's pitch to supporters to join its new online effort, one that combines the features of "AstroTurf" campaigning with the sort of customer-loyalty programs offered by airlines, hotel chains, restaurants and the occasional daily newspaper.
On McCain's Web site, visitors are invited to "Spread the Word" about the presumptive Republican nominee by sending campaign-supplied comments to blogs and Web sites under the visitor's screen name. The site offers sample comments ("John McCain has a comprehensive economic plan . . .") and a list of dozens of suggested destinations, conveniently broken down into "conservative," "liberal," "moderate" and "other" categories. Just cut and paste. ......
It's not working, as even rightwing bloggers are, well, bloggers, and understand how the online culture really works.
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Wow, that is just.... sad. I guess if you have a lousy product, it's tough to come up with a viable marketing strategy. Although even marketers have learned that bloggers tend to balk at this sort of obvious thing.
Back in the good ol' daze (1950), Richard Nixon's infamous "Pink Lady" campaign for a Senate seat featured a similar stunt. Radio ads across California promised that Nixonian minions would be calling random numbers around the state, and those who answered their phones with the inspiring phrase "I'm voting for Nixon - how about you?" (or words to that effect) would win a free toaster!
Don't laugh - he won.
I'm not at all surprised that they would stoop this low. I am (a bit) surprised that they would be so hilariously ham-fisted about it. Even the Truest of the True Believers of God's Own Party(tm) are going to have a hard time feeling good about blatant, (low)paid, cut-and-paste astroturf. I suspect, though this isn't a cheery thought, that astroturf is probably an order of magnitude less popular than torture among such people as are familiar with both.
Surely they could have found somebody to tell them this was a stupid idea, even if McCain had to contact them by telegraph?