Kerry Launches Obama-Helping Anti-Smear Website

[Kire]

Source: Huffington Post

No stranger to being submarined by attack ads and smear campaigns, Sen. John Kerry is set to launch an online effort that will work to protect Barack Obama from suffering the same fate.

On Wednesday, the Massachusetts Democrat's political action committee will launch TruthFightsBack.com, a website that encourages voters to flag and counterattack smears when they see them.

The site, in its nascent stages, signals a recognition that character and political attacks -- even the most outrageous -- all contain an inherent capacity to go viral and cause electoral ripples. Already, the Obama campaign has launched a counter-smear site of its own, titled "Fight The Smears."

Kerry's effort will be slightly different. The Senator won't print "the attack" directly alongside "the truth." But he will, according to Kerry's Internet Director Brian Young, put more emphasis on the attacker and allow the site's directors to decided how best to combat the attack.



Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/13/kerry-launches-obama-help_n_118689.html

---

This is a needed service. You can submit smears for Senate and House races, too.

If anybody is qualified to do this, it's Kerry.


Also, I really hope this works. It's a really great idea, but it's unproven.

The blog requires membership in order to post, but there is no link to register an account, and the site has no search feature, so there is no way to tell if they are alread addressing a smear that you want to submit. (if I'm wrong, pleast let me know how these features work in the comments, thanks).

I hope we can all contribute and help out. This has so much potential, but it's already got flaws, please write them and thank them and tell them your suggestions. And write to Kerry and thank him, too.

[RedEarth]

1. Here is a link to the site........

http://www.truthfightsback.com/site/splash/

[Kire]

2. thanks

I edited it to make the text in the article clickable. I thought anything that ended with ".com" was automatically clickable on DU. that's why I didn't include a link.

thanks again

[FrenchieCat]

3. signed up! Thanks!

:patriot:

[blm]

4. THIS is how a united Dem party pushes back FOR the nominee.

No egos - just vigilance and showing up when back up is needed.

[Kire]

6. I just hope it works.

I didn't see a search feature on the web site.

I contacted them suggesting they add one. I hope they listen and don't get too caught up in bureacratic blame shifting.

[blm]

7. Kerry's staff reads DU - don't be shy about making positive suggestions.

They fully respect thoughtful bloggers.

[Kire]

8. thanks

I still had time to edit the post and make some constructive criticism in the comment section of this post. We really need to get organized. Too many organizations have people that just shift blame and make wise ass comments and don't do anything to improve the operations of their website.

It's not personal, it's business. Get to work.

[TayTay]

12. problem with the search function

Apparently google is having a problem with their search function today and it is affecting some websites.

The search will be restored as soon as the technical problem is worked out.

Thanks!

-- Tay

[Kire]

14. TayTay PM'd me, said she was on Kerry's internet outreach committee

The search function on the TruthFightsBack site is down
From: TayTay
Date: Aug-13-08 03:04 PM
because of a technical problem with Google. (Apparently Google is having some kind of problem today and it is affecting a lot of sites besides ours.)

We took the search out so as not to confuse people. It will be back as soon as possible.

Thanks!

Terri
I work for Senator Kerry as an Internet Outreach Coordinator.

excellent response time, I'm impressed

thank you again

[ProSense]

5. Excellent! n/t

[undeterred]

9. I wish Obama would make Kerry his VP

He has been through a campaign, he really cares about the country, and he's a solidly loyal Democrat. Plus he was elected president in 2004.

[YvonneCa]

11. ...

...with you, on that one. :7

[MBS]

13. . . . . n/t

[YvonneCa]

10. Thank you for posting this...

...here. I received the email about this site and joined up right away. Some lessons have been learned...the hard way, sadly...about the need for an organized way to fight these smears. I hope this 'experiment' is successful. I think it will be if lots of people get involved and join the Senator's efforts.

Ways to get involved:

1. Pay attention to the news and/or online smears and report them to the site.

2. Post on this new website...a lot...and get it active and noticed.

3. Forward Kerry's email (if you get it) to other people that you think would participate.

4. Cross post news of success here at DU and in other places that you frequent. :)

5. Write letters (and email or send them) to sources of smears, letting them know you are on to them.

6. Write letters to news organizations when they feature a smear, spin one ENDLESSLY, or fail to report the truth.

7. Other suggestions ???


For my part, I have already forwarded Kerry's email about this to several friends and family members. My LTTE 'pen' is ready.:)

"Truth is the American bottom-line. Truth is fundamental to who we are."

Senator John Kerry :7

[Kire]

15. you're welcome

and here's another kick

[Kire]

16. Lesson Learned from 2004

There was a guy defending Obama against Swift Boat Vet Jerome Corsi's new book on Larry King tonight. Paul Waldman from Media Matters, apparently.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0808/13/lkl.01.html

He made many good points, but one in particular I would like to mention.

Kerry didn't lose because he was attacked by these guys and they were really horrible smears.

He lost the election because he didn't fight the smears and he was perceived as weak, or something like that.

UPDATE: I started a thread about it in the Media forum.

[Kire]

17. John Kerry: "The Liars are back, It's time to finish them off"

Kerry's latest e-mail:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6629242&mesg_id=6629242

[SoCalDem]

18. EVERY TIME a "Corsi" ot a "Buchanan" or anyone goes on tv and lies,

There should be 4 or 5 ANGRY dem senators or congresspeople banging on the doors of CNN or MSNBC or the NYT or the WaPo..DEMANDING equal time..
and if ONE of them refuses, THAT beomes a story to take to one of the OTHERS...

[maseman]

19. I like the video of Kerry

eating John Kyl's frigging lunch. Priceless. He had Kyl stumbling all over the place.

[Kire]

20. link?

please?

[TayTay]

21. It's on the Kerry website

http://www.johnkerry.com/multimedia/entry/msnbcs_race_for_the_white_house_with_jon_kyl/

Thanks!

[maseman]

22. Just play the very first video box you see when you hit your link

Priceless.