Astroturf in high gear: Phony interest groups and this year's elections: what are you seeing?

[hedgehog]

State Senator Darrel Aubertine has been targeted in an effort to turn the New York State Senate back to the Republicans. So far I've spotted two phony interest groups running attack ads: Common Sense (commonsenseprinciples.com) and New Yorkers for Fiscal Responsibility. I call them phony interest groups because they appear to be false fronts for funneling money into this election. No one seems to be able to find out who actually runs or finances Common Sense. Not even Google can find the New Yorkers for Fiscal Responsibility.

So what's shaking in your area?

[SheilaT]

1. Since I don't

have a TV, I miss all of that crap. There aren't very many of us televisionless folks out there (I catch all sorts of goodies, including Keith Olbermann via the internet) and while I can watch most of the shows I want to see, I see no political ads, other than those Keith plays to make some point. As a consequence, I'm simply not going to be swayed by any ad of any kind. I will be voting a straight Democratic ticket next month.

Back when I had a TV, I'd get extremely annoyed at the ads around election time. All of the ads. there is almost never any real content in any of them, any information that could lead to making a thoughtful and reasoned decision about who to vote for. Such a shame.

[hedgehog]

2. These groups are buying radio and tv ads as well as sending out mass mailings.

Add NFIB to my list of front organizations that look like grassroots but strangely are silent about who runs them and who pays for them.

How about Unshackle Upstate New York, which is a collection of local Chambers of Commerce, Realtor Associations, some community groups and Berkshire Properties, LLC! This "bi-partisan" group endorsed 23 Republicans and 1 Democrat running for seats in the NYS legislature.

[SheilaT]

3. I am not getting the mass mailings.

at least not so far. I count myself lucky. Of course, it may be that where I live (Santa Fe, NM) simply isn't a place that's a target for those groups.