Republican rep claims Obama backers using fake Twitter accounts in gun-control blitz (Busted!)

fox news ^ | 2/26/2013 | fox news

[tobyhill]

President Obama supporters appear to be using fake Twitter accounts to send pro gun-control messages to members of Congress, Texas Republican Rep. Steve Stockman and conservative bloggers who also reviewed the messages said Monday.

Bloggers first spotted the trend and said they suspected some social media funny business because the senders had sent no other tweets, had no followers and followed nobody.

In addition, blogger Stacy McCain said his review found the majority of the accounts supporting Obama’s gun-control campaign were created less than 48 hours before a member of Congress was contacted.

The tweets in question included the #WeDemandAVote hashtag – which President Obama told gun-control supporters to include in their Twitter messages to Congress.

[Sans-Culotte]

Interesting because it would seem to me that Twitter would have to be complicit. Isn’t it a requirement to “follow” someone to set up an account?

[nonamer]

Hmm...it’s a story on Fox News from a Republican House Representative. My guess is this will be ignored.

[cripplecreek]

Isn’t it a requirement to “follow” someone to set up an account?

I don't believe so.

If anything twitter appears to be a great place for conservatives to successfully get their message out in the short attention span world.

[Brad from Tennessee]

This is a common tactic. On the eve of passage of ObamaCare the AFL-CIO set up phone banks of union members to call members of Congress in support of the bill. What they accomplished was to help keep Capitol switchboards jammed so taxpayers could not voice their opposition.

[cripplecreek]

Its an old tactic called Manufactured consensus developed by Edward Bernays while working on propaganda for Woodrow Wilson. Its just been brought into the modern world. In the days of Bernays it was written editorials in newspapers and the man in a crowd with others ready to stand in agreement. Its a tactic to make oneself appear more numerous.

We even see trolls attempting to use it here at FR. Anybody remember “Ellie Light”?

[Brad from Tennessee]

[It’s a tactic to make oneself appear more numerous.]

The Gay movement, being deeply embedded in U.S. mass media, is an old hand at this.

Thanks for the history.

[Political Junkie Too]

Isn't this what Obama supporters did to go after Limbaugh advertisers after the Sandra Fluke comments?

-PJ

[cripplecreek]

From 2010

Ellie Light: Dozens more sightings of Obama’s most prolific letter-writing fan

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2010/01/ellie_light_dozens_more_sighti.html

[Bshaw]

“My guess is this will be ignored.”

As will be the vaunted advice from our Vice President, to our women no less, to go get a 12 gauge shotgun for personal defense. Just blast it twice in the air he advises!

What a world class buffoon!! I offer the following exhibit:

http://www.ijreview.com/2013/02/38482-humorous-women-take-joe-bidens-buy-a-shotgun-advice/