A cynical ploy to generate bot traffic, or a serious discussion of an online phenomenon?
Regulars on sites like Blogcritics tend to get quite snarky about the so-called 'Paulbots', who manifest themselves whenever an article about Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is posted. These commenters range from the rational and articulate to the downright wacky, but are always prepared to promote and defend their hero for as long as the thread stays alive. They pique our suspicions because they appear from nowhere (usually within minutes of publication), have not been seen on the site before, and never visit any other threads. Their modus operandi seems too efficient to be entirely human, so we conclude that these people must be using 'bots': automated programs which trawl the net looking for key words and phrases and alerting their masters when they appear.…
Article comments
126 - handyguy
The ballot initiative has been described as 'dead' a couple of times, but it keeps springing back up as in a horror movie. It would probably award 19 of Calif's 55 electoral votes to the Republican candidate. In a close election, that would certainly turn the tide. At this point, who knows how close it will actually be?
127 - Colin
How do you cope Handyguy?? I mean it's like fucking years man. Over here an election is called - at the whim of the governing party within a maximum Parliament length - and then it's all done and dusted in a couple of months at the most. And, that's quite enough for me. Then, you're system is very much more (potentially) engaging of the voter. My head will fall off by nect November... It would be a shame if a court case changed the rules and would, I imagine, further damage faith in the democratic process.
128 - Jacob
"Then, you're system is very much more (potentially) engaging of the voter."
In this country we say "your" in this context... "you're" is a contraction for "you are."
129 - handyguy
Our election cycle is absurd, and someday, perhaps, someone will realize it and say:
"Enough already!
Iowa: March 1
New Hampshire: March 15
"Everyone else in randomly generated groups of 10 states, at two-week intervals after that.
"No backtalk. Just do it."
Actually, both parties tried something like that this year and it backfired. All the states want to be at the head of the line, and all the candidates feel they must declare their intention to run at least 6-9 months before the first primary.
Any attempt to outlaw that would be jumped on as anti-American, anti-freedom-of-speech.
130 - Clavos
"Actually, both parties tried something like that this year and it backfired."
Big time. Democratic primary voters in Florida are disenfranchised by DNC, who has ruled their votes won't count.
131 - Colin
How correct you are Jacob, I do apologise for missing my keys, and thank you for pointing it out too, which in this country we call annoying pedantry and condescention... Fair play though. I'm simply curious, that's all...
132 - Colin
And, of course, it may well be the case that, like this article's cheeky experiment, the very use of the term Ron Paul is a good way for sites to generate traffic now. I do recall an American chap coming over to the UK sometime last year - I think he was advising the Conservative party - and predicting that your next election will be fought and won on the internet. Maybe he was/is a Ron Paul adviser? Have the other candidates mobilised in this way? I know debates are Youtubed but Paul seems to have the numbers of bloggers and blog commenters. (Again, excuse my ignorance, this is the only source I regularly use for American political punditry, but it has seen several Ron Paul avalanches).
133 - Dr Dreadful
Yes, well, we will keep writing articles about the fellow...
The simple fact is that Dr Paul's campaign seems to have caught the imagination of the internet generation in a way that no other candidate has been able to. Whether or not that translates to feet in voting booths, we'll see in a couple of months, when the primaries (finally, thank God) kick in.
134 - Hugo Chavez Frias
Fuck this article. Do you know who is the real killer and terrorist of this world? Bush and his zionist warhawks who did 9-11, and killed 1 million iraquis so far
135 - Clavos
¡Hola Hugo!
¿Que te pasó en diciembre?
¡Cuéntanos!
136 - Dr Dreadful
It strikes me that losing elections seems to make Chavistas and Paulistas go rather quiet...
137 - STM
"iraquis"?
What, new native American tribe?
138 - Dr Dreadful
From what I've heard of him, it wouldn't be beyond the bounds of credibility for the real Hugo Chavez to seek out a piece such as this and comment on it. That is, if he had any spare time that he wasn't spending appearing on TV.
He can probably spell 'Iraqis' though.