There have been many posts about whether or not the campaigns are using bloggs to campaign and start narratives that they otherwise wouldn't want to do in public. There is an assumed anonymous nature of the net, but as we know if you don't cover your tracks it doesn't take long to find out who you really are, if you are someone.
The following is calling out a poster because she is a official Hillraiser. It is not my site and I don't make the rules but I do believe in disclosure.
If I a wrong, kick me off. I left the name out but other people with google could figure it out.
Why I picked a fight with a Hillraiser and suggestion for Markos
It started with this diary.
http://www.dailykos.com/...
I have clearly stated my support of Obama, with all the others tied for second, and Hillary as a not on your life write in. But I am just one of the many nothing voices in the echo chamber. I have no political connections; do not donate large sums of money. I am a real typical message board nothing.
Menemsha Sunset started posting numerous pro Hillary by way of Obama hit comments. Ok, nothing new there as these are part of the game by people on all sides. However, there was something different about her posts. I read them as being very specific hits with a specific intent to cast Obama as a fraud, a character created by his consultants.
Again, we are all free to post opinions.
During an exchange with some Obama supporters she mentioned that her family has a personal relationship with Hillary for years. In my book that takes you out of the realm of nameless faceless bloggers and into being an agent of the campaign.
It took me all of about 15 minutes to find out she is an official Hillraiser and one of Hillary’s co-chairs at some high priced New England events.
So my question and suggestion, is if members of the inner circles of candidate want to come here and promote their guy/gal or hit the others, the more the merrier, but at what point does this cross from blogging to campaigning? At what point should candidates be responsible for the comments by their bloggers? And, is there a way to force disclosure?
My suggestion to Markos, is that if I ran DailyKos, I would require name verification which could be kept private and done by having a 1$ credit card charge. (name and address would have to match) I would then cross reference with FEC databases.
There have been many diaries and comments about candidate agents posting on Kos, paid or paying with contributions Menemsha Sunset was clearly an agent that is actively working and bundling money for Hillary.
So I picked a fight. I called her out, I suspect she reported me to management for this. So be it.
I did it to make a point. No hard feelings but I think if people have relationships with the candidates they should disclose this, especially when the issue of slinging mud is on the front page.