Online Soul Selling For Campaign Treats

So we all know McCain and the Republicans are intellectually and morally bankrupt, and that McCain's campaign ranks slightly below week old fried spam on the excitement meter, but this is ridiculous. McCain is now taking a page from Philip Morris and trying out a gimmicky solution to being on the wrong side of the public interest, and the facts. Enter, McCainPoints! McCain is now actually bribing people to spread his right wing talking points around the internet, in a desperate effort to fight back against knowledgeable liberals and progressives who engage in a free exchange of ideas not because they are being bribed, but because they actually care and are passionate (and knowledgeable) about the issues and the future of this country.

So here's how it works. You go to McCain's website, and each day they write up a bunch of bullshit right wing talking points (about subjects like offshore drilling) for their minions to go cut and paste around the web. Then, they give you a list of sites they want you to target, like Crooks and Liars, DailyKos, MyDD, Think Progress and Politico (unfortunately this blog isn't worthy of coordinated trolling). After you dutifully drop your payload of McCain spin on unsuspecting people who aren't being bribed to support certain viewpoints, you return to base, fill out a form highlighting your exploits, which gets sent in for verification. If the McCain campaign approves of your raid, you get points! Rinse and repeat.

Yes, and as with similar rewards programs, these points can eventually be traded for prizes, exciting treasures like books autographed by McCain (hell, maybe American flags too!), special troll-level seating at campaign events, and even the chance to ride on the "Straight Talk Express" with the lobbyists!

The whole thing is rather pathetic, and it is sad how gimmicky the Republicans have to get to convince people to believe, or at least act like they believe, their nonsense. Worse than that however is the intellectual dishonesty of the whole thing. At the point when you are just paying people to pretend they care or know about an issue just to get your spin out there more you are totally disrespecting intellectual discourse and are really just making a mockery of the ideology they are trying to get you to support. Personally, I'd be very much offended if someone tried to bribe me to voice a certain opinion, even if I already agreed with them. Talk about cheapening the whole process.

Update: The Washington Post adds this interesting note:

More chillingly, dissidents alleged earlier this year that the Chinese government has paid Chinese citizens token sums for each favorable comment about government policies they post in chat rooms and on blogs.

Ah McCain, as usual you keep such pleasant bedfellows.