"Joe American" Challenges Candidates

[Nylan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPch2k63uj4

This was e-mailed to me a few days ago. A guy calling himself "Joe American" has posted a video where he talks to the presidential candidates about things he feels they are ignoring and claims to speak for the "silent majority". A lot of people really agree with it. This video is making the rounds all over the internet, but I have yet to see it here and I feel it should be discussed if it hasn't been already.

What are your thoughts on his ideas?

How do you feel about these kinds of videos?

 

[Bill3000]

Populism is ******ed. Sorry.

The idea of the "silent majority" was as stupid when it was invented during the Vietnam War as it is now.

Besides, catering to the majority is by definition pandering.

 

[GenMarshall]

Not impressed.

 

[Nylan]

It's a 9 minute long video and within 3 we have 2 dismissals. Hmm.

 

[Bill3000]

Oh, and he looks too much like Romney.

And it suspiciously looks like astroturfing.

 

[Nylan]

And that invalidates what he has to say how?

 

[Bill3000]

And that invalidates what he has to say how?

Because, quite frankly, high energy prices are a good thing. It's created far more change in people's habits than any government initiative.

And if it's astroturfing, it invalidates what he has to say because he wouldn't be in the "silent majority"

 

[illram]

Can someone sum up his points so I don't have to waste 9 minutes of my life watching someone called "Joe American" talk?

 

[Bill3000]

Can someone sum up his points so I don't have to waste 9 minutes of my life watching that?

"I want my cheap gas back, let's drill ANWAR"

 

[Gilder]

He comes off as way too well rehearsed for me to believe the "Joe American" schtick.

 

[West 36]

He's ripping off Canada! Lame!

 

[emzie]

I will be very surprised if this isn't astroturfing.

 

[bhsup]

FYI for any others like me who had no idea what astroturfing was, beyond a reference to a football field surface:

Astroturfing in American English is a neologism for formal public relations campaigns in politics and advertising which seek to create the impression of being spontaneous, grassroots behavior, hence the reference to the artificial grass AstroTurf.

 

[Masquerouge]

FYI for any others like me who had no idea what astroturfing was, beyond a reference to a football field surface:

Thanks

And so, who would that guy be astroturfing for? McCain? (ust syaing that because of the comments about oil)

 

[Bill3000]

Thanks

And so, who would that guy be astroturfing for? McCain? (ust syaing that because of the comments about oil)

McCain doesn't support ANWAR drilling, IIRC. So no. Probably some Repub group though.

 

[emzie]

Thanks

And so, who would that guy be astroturfing for? McCain? (ust syaing that because of the comments about oil)

Ironically, a special interest group.

 

[Shadylookin]

US oil would go onto the world market and do nothing to lower the price.

forcefully taking Iraq's oil wouldn't go over so well. Making Iraq our only supplier would cause the other nations to dump the dollar and damage it's value. Plus we get a lot of oil from closer places like Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela.

Joe's "cure" is worse than the poison. Unfortunately I'm pretty sure our current oil problem happens to be like a lot of problems in life where the only solution is to just grit your teeth and take it like a man

 

[emzie]

A little whois search:

http://whois.domaintools.com/joeamerican.us

The site was registered with "Joe American" being the name, but the address and phone number track to the same person, one "Jeanne D Doran"

Jeanne Doran, of Green Valley seems to have written this...

http://www.gvnews.com/articles/2008/04/01/letters/letters05.txt

Apparently she lives in an assisted living / nursing home.

Something's quite odd.

 

[Masquerouge]

A little whois search:

http://whois.domaintools.com/joeamerican.us

The site was registered with "Joe American" being the name, but the address and phone number track to the same person, one "Jeanne D Doran"

Jeanne Doran, of Green Valley seems to have written this...

http://www.gvnews.com/articles/2008/04/01/letters/letters05.txt

Apparently she lives in an assisted living / nursing home.

Something's quite odd.

The second link sounds a lot more like an ad than like a real letter. I mean,

While I’m sure the administrator of the facility, Damacio Marquez, is a very capable businessman, my admiration goes out to him because he is not above pitching in when there is a need.

...

 

[Kraznaya]

Populists should be shot.