Saturday, July 19, 2008
Point update
I'm up to 60 points, thanks to a second friend who joined Team McCain. No word from TM about my two blog posts. :(
Friday, July 18, 2008
Ahmed Takes on the Kos
I still haven't heard if I'll receive any points for my comment on the conservative blog, RedState, but that hasn't deterred me (or rather Ahmed) from diving feet first into the treacherous waters of the liberal blog, The Daily Kos. My goal was to create post that would seem pro-McCain to Team McCain, but be so ambiguous that the Kos readers wouldn't know what to make of it. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if the Kossacks couldn't take a joke. While I tend to agree with most people there politically, they are on the whole a dour, humorless bunch, prone more to self-congratulation than to persuasion.
Here's the text of my comment. It's a reply to a Post "How to Win Wars for Dummies" by John McCain, which consists mainly of McCain's less intelligent remarks about the conduct of the Iraq and Afghanistan War. I respond by citing McCain's recent proposal for winning the war in Afghanistan.
------------------------------------------------------
McCain's Plan: The Truth
Senator McCain has presented his strategy for winning the war in Afghanistan, and it's not a plan for dummies (the dummies are the ones too dumb to understand it): John McCain's Comprehensive Strategy for Victory in Afghanistan
Here are the main points in bold (for the dummies too lazy to read the full text), plus my commentary (in not bold):
"John McCain Will Work With Our Allies To Ensure Unity Of Command In Afghanistan."
Senator McCain points out that there are three U.S. command centers in Afghanistan, not to mention NATO commanders. A unified command structure under a strong central leader will improve effectiveness.
"John McCain Will Appoint An Afghanistan Czar To Ensure Commanders Have What They Need To Win."
Currently we have a War Czar. Senator McCain proposes a second Czar just for Afghanistan. Now I realize two Czars at the same time sounds like a contradiction in terms, so I propose a third Czar, a "Super Czar" to oversee the War Czar and the Afghanistan Czar."
"John McCain Supports Sending At Least Three Additional Brigades To Afghanistan."
Senator McCain points out that we can increase troop strength in Afghanistan simply by redeploying the troops no longer needed in Iraq (thanks to the successful surge there). And having served so long in Iraq without a break, these troops will be glad for a change of scenery.
"John McCain Will Double The Size Of The Afghan Military."
Senator McCain suggests that our allies should pay for the cost of the extra Afghan military, and this is a great point. Everyone benefits from peace in this region, especially our allies in the Middle East, and they should be willing to pay accordingly.
"John McCain Will Increase Our Non-Military Assistance To The Afghan Government."
Senator McCain points out that we must fund the Afghan government adequately so that they can grow crops other than narcotics. Where will this money come from? I believe that by increasing fines for drug trafficking here in the U.S., we will not only gain revenue to cover assistance to the Afghan government, but we will also increase the cost of drugs, and (as has been the case with oil) cause drug users to cut back or perhaps (as has not been the case with oil) even quit using drugs altogether. What alternative crops should be grown in Afghanistan? Perhaps corn, which can be used to create ethanol, thereby further reducing our need for foreign oil.
"John McCain Will Enhance Our Regional Diplomatic Efforts By Appointing A Special Presidential Envoy."
I know what you're thinking, "Aren't we creating a big government mess in Afghanistan, just as the Democrats have here in the United States?" But this envoy will be only one person, who can, to quote Senator McCain's plan, "turn Afghanistan from a theater for regional rivalries into a commons for regional cooperation." And by eliminating rivalries, we can decrease the number of advisers that we call in to resolve such rivalries. Furthermore, this envoy's salary can be paid with the profits from Afghanistan's ethanol profits.
"As Part Of This Regional Strategy, John McCain Will Put Special Focus On Pakistan."
As a Pakistani-American (and a member of Team McCain's Muslims for McCain Coalition), I am especially encouraged by this special focus. A free Pakistan, led by a democratically-elected civilian government, is essential for Middle East peace.
Thus, in his bold plan I think John McCain has shown that he does know how to win wars (whether he uses my humble suggestions or not). Winning wars isn't for dummies (and we've had our share in the White House)--it's for intelligent, brave men like Senator John McCain.
------------------------------------------------------
I'll keep you posted on how the Kossers respond to my little attempt at adding some levity to the proceedings there.
Permalink for Ahmed's comment on the Kos
Here's the text of my comment. It's a reply to a Post "How to Win Wars for Dummies" by John McCain, which consists mainly of McCain's less intelligent remarks about the conduct of the Iraq and Afghanistan War. I respond by citing McCain's recent proposal for winning the war in Afghanistan.
------------------------------------------------------
McCain's Plan: The Truth
Senator McCain has presented his strategy for winning the war in Afghanistan, and it's not a plan for dummies (the dummies are the ones too dumb to understand it): John McCain's Comprehensive Strategy for Victory in Afghanistan
Here are the main points in bold (for the dummies too lazy to read the full text), plus my commentary (in not bold):
"John McCain Will Work With Our Allies To Ensure Unity Of Command In Afghanistan."
Senator McCain points out that there are three U.S. command centers in Afghanistan, not to mention NATO commanders. A unified command structure under a strong central leader will improve effectiveness.
"John McCain Will Appoint An Afghanistan Czar To Ensure Commanders Have What They Need To Win."
Currently we have a War Czar. Senator McCain proposes a second Czar just for Afghanistan. Now I realize two Czars at the same time sounds like a contradiction in terms, so I propose a third Czar, a "Super Czar" to oversee the War Czar and the Afghanistan Czar."
"John McCain Supports Sending At Least Three Additional Brigades To Afghanistan."
Senator McCain points out that we can increase troop strength in Afghanistan simply by redeploying the troops no longer needed in Iraq (thanks to the successful surge there). And having served so long in Iraq without a break, these troops will be glad for a change of scenery.
"John McCain Will Double The Size Of The Afghan Military."
Senator McCain suggests that our allies should pay for the cost of the extra Afghan military, and this is a great point. Everyone benefits from peace in this region, especially our allies in the Middle East, and they should be willing to pay accordingly.
"John McCain Will Increase Our Non-Military Assistance To The Afghan Government."
Senator McCain points out that we must fund the Afghan government adequately so that they can grow crops other than narcotics. Where will this money come from? I believe that by increasing fines for drug trafficking here in the U.S., we will not only gain revenue to cover assistance to the Afghan government, but we will also increase the cost of drugs, and (as has been the case with oil) cause drug users to cut back or perhaps (as has not been the case with oil) even quit using drugs altogether. What alternative crops should be grown in Afghanistan? Perhaps corn, which can be used to create ethanol, thereby further reducing our need for foreign oil.
"John McCain Will Enhance Our Regional Diplomatic Efforts By Appointing A Special Presidential Envoy."
I know what you're thinking, "Aren't we creating a big government mess in Afghanistan, just as the Democrats have here in the United States?" But this envoy will be only one person, who can, to quote Senator McCain's plan, "turn Afghanistan from a theater for regional rivalries into a commons for regional cooperation." And by eliminating rivalries, we can decrease the number of advisers that we call in to resolve such rivalries. Furthermore, this envoy's salary can be paid with the profits from Afghanistan's ethanol profits.
"As Part Of This Regional Strategy, John McCain Will Put Special Focus On Pakistan."
As a Pakistani-American (and a member of Team McCain's Muslims for McCain Coalition), I am especially encouraged by this special focus. A free Pakistan, led by a democratically-elected civilian government, is essential for Middle East peace.
Thus, in his bold plan I think John McCain has shown that he does know how to win wars (whether he uses my humble suggestions or not). Winning wars isn't for dummies (and we've had our share in the White House)--it's for intelligent, brave men like Senator John McCain.
------------------------------------------------------
I'll keep you posted on how the Kossers respond to my little attempt at adding some levity to the proceedings there.
Permalink for Ahmed's comment on the Kos
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Update on my RedState.com post
My suggestion on RedState.com (to extend energy production in ANWR and offshore by adding wind farms to the proposed drilling sites there) generated a little heat, as did my promo for the all-electric Tesla roadster. Apparently some people are dead set against anything "alternative" (including cool sports cars). I was a bit disappointed that no one seemed to notice my suggestion that we install nuclear plants there as well.
Point update
40 Points! Yee-hah! The friend I referred signed up with Team McCain. She's an ardent Obama supporter, so I have no fear she'll be persuaded (or scared) by the website.
No response from TM yet on my blog post to RedState.com. My next mission is to post to the liberal blog The Daily Kos. I just signed up at the Kos, and there's a 24 hour delay before I can reply to any of their diaries, so stay tuned.
And still no word from Team McCain about how many points it takes to win an award, or what the awards are.
In fact, no emails from the Team to Ahmed or his alter ego Steve. They need to get a little more friendly if they're going to fire up the supporters who are less mercenary than me.
No response from TM yet on my blog post to RedState.com. My next mission is to post to the liberal blog The Daily Kos. I just signed up at the Kos, and there's a 24 hour delay before I can reply to any of their diaries, so stay tuned.
And still no word from Team McCain about how many points it takes to win an award, or what the awards are.
In fact, no emails from the Team to Ahmed or his alter ego Steve. They need to get a little more friendly if they're going to fire up the supporters who are less mercenary than me.
Ahmed votes for McCain (or his poster)
Apparently I won't get any points for helping Team McCain choose the winner of the McCain Poster Contest (maybe the team is trying to avoid the hint of vote-buying), but I voted anyway. I wanted to pick the scariest poster, and narrowed it down to these 3:
The first poster, with the big head watching little John and Cindy, repeats that "Two McCains" theme as in the green screen McCain YouTube video, a symbol that the campaign could easily parlay into a Big Brother motif.
The second poster puts McCain into a kind of shadow ("shadow government"?), and cuts off part of his forehead, creating a Frankenstein's monster vibe.
The third is kind of cheery (considering the mean facial expression), but it does provide the kind of frightfulness that results when Republicans attempt to be funny. Plus the "raise McCain" phrase could be extended to "raise McCain from the dead" (there's that Frankenstein motif again).
I chose the second poster for pure primal fear--it's the one I'd most hate to see posted in a dark alley at night. Jeepers!
The first poster, with the big head watching little John and Cindy, repeats that "Two McCains" theme as in the green screen McCain YouTube video, a symbol that the campaign could easily parlay into a Big Brother motif.
The second poster puts McCain into a kind of shadow ("shadow government"?), and cuts off part of his forehead, creating a Frankenstein's monster vibe.
The third is kind of cheery (considering the mean facial expression), but it does provide the kind of frightfulness that results when Republicans attempt to be funny. Plus the "raise McCain" phrase could be extended to "raise McCain from the dead" (there's that Frankenstein motif again).
I chose the second poster for pure primal fear--it's the one I'd most hate to see posted in a dark alley at night. Jeepers!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Point update
I'm at 21 (one more point for referring a friend who volunteered--a real person, not an alter ego).
Ahmed Enters the Blogosphere
I recently discovered that I could earn points by posting a message on any of several blogs (both conservative and liberal). I'll have to refer Team McCain to my post, and if they deem it worthy, I'll earn some points (more on that in the next post).
I chose RedState.com and the editorial "We must boost domestic energy production now" by Representative Joe Barton of Texas (wonder what side he's on) for my comment. Here's the text of my message:
As a member of the Team McCain Coalition on Energy Alternatives, I wholeheartedly agree that domestic drilling is a necessary step in reducing dependence on other countries for our energy needs. It's not like ANWR is a national park where people go camping and hunting anyway.
But I think as this tv ad from Senator McCain's website points out, we must also consider alternative energy sources like wind power.
Unfortunately no one wants windmills in their backyard (the old "NIMBY" problem), so I propose a bold solution: why don't we locate windmills in the ANWR region and off-shore? Besides solving the nimby issue, these remote clean sources will provide power more quickly than drilling alone (liberals are fond of pointing out that oil from ANWR won't make it to the domestic market for at least five years, but the wind power would be available almost immediately). There's no reason we couldn't forge on with drilling AND use alternative sources like wind power and nuclear power in these remote locations, thereby reducing our dependency on foreign oil all the more quickly.
I used Ahmed as my username when I signed on at RedState. I'll post any replies to my message (they're pretty good at spotting trolls there; hopefully I'll pass undetected). Permalink for my RedState comment
I chose RedState.com and the editorial "We must boost domestic energy production now" by Representative Joe Barton of Texas (wonder what side he's on) for my comment. Here's the text of my message:
As a member of the Team McCain Coalition on Energy Alternatives, I wholeheartedly agree that domestic drilling is a necessary step in reducing dependence on other countries for our energy needs. It's not like ANWR is a national park where people go camping and hunting anyway.
But I think as this tv ad from Senator McCain's website points out, we must also consider alternative energy sources like wind power.
Unfortunately no one wants windmills in their backyard (the old "NIMBY" problem), so I propose a bold solution: why don't we locate windmills in the ANWR region and off-shore? Besides solving the nimby issue, these remote clean sources will provide power more quickly than drilling alone (liberals are fond of pointing out that oil from ANWR won't make it to the domestic market for at least five years, but the wind power would be available almost immediately). There's no reason we couldn't forge on with drilling AND use alternative sources like wind power and nuclear power in these remote locations, thereby reducing our dependency on foreign oil all the more quickly.
I used Ahmed as my username when I signed on at RedState. I'll post any replies to my message (they're pretty good at spotting trolls there; hopefully I'll pass undetected). Permalink for my RedState comment
More Points!
Here's the text of the letter that Team McCain sent my alter ego when "Ahmed" sent ae an invitation (see previous installment for text of the invitation).
First, this curious graphic:
which has two John McCains, kind of like that YouTube green screen video.
Then this prologue:
Dear Steve,
Ahmed Singh would like you to join Team McCain.
Please click here to join John McCain's team today. Only with your help and support can we elect John McCain the next President of the United States.
I hate to disappoint Team McCain, but if they really can't do it without my help....
Then the message from "Ahmed" quoted earlier, and a big green CONTRIBUTE button (that button seems to show up everywhere).
In the bottom panel this link appears: Please visit this page if you want to remove yourself from the email list. So apparently anyone who is sent a request by a friend is opted in to the email list.
And at the bottom of the panel, this disclaimer: This is a personal communication from Ahmed Singh and has not been reviewed by John McCain 2008. which is pretty much what I thought. Later I might try a message with a few suspicious words, just to see if the Team McCain robot uses a filter. But for now, I'm just Ahmed Singh, bustin' my chops for some points.
My alter ego "Steve" clicked on the Join link (using another browser, since the site uses cookies to keep track of login information). I'm now back on the "Tell us More About Yourself" page with its list of coalitions. I notice two things this time: every word except "us" is capitalized in the title (perhaps a moment of humility for Team McCain) and that there's an interesting pattern in the list of ethnic coalitions: African Americans, American Indians, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, Lebanese Americans. Did you catch the exception? All the groups except "Hispanics" have the adjective "American" associated with them. Is it possible that Team McCain is seeking the help of Hispanics who are not Americans? I. e. undocumented workers, for whom McCain had proposed amnesty, a position he changed after getting flack from conservatives in the media (see the January 30 Republican Candidate Debate). So I checked out McCain's platform on "Border Security and Immigration Reform" and found these statements: "a secure border will contribute to addressing our immigration problem most effectively if we also ... Recognize the importance of pro-growth policies -- keeping government spending in check, holding down taxes, and cutting unnecessary regulatory burdens -- so American businesses can hire and pay the best. Recognize the importance of a flexible labor market to keep employers in business and our economy on top." Hmmmm.
Also interesting on the coalition list is the way various religions are labeled: "Americans of Faith," "Catholics," "Jewish," and "Muslims for McCain." What about Protestant Christians? Apparently they're "Americans of Faith." Which would suggest that Catholics, Jews, and Muslims are not Americans of faith. Hmmmm.
At any rate, alter ego "Steve" selected "Americans of Faith" and "Sportsmen" from the Coalition list, and signed up.
But most important, Ahmed's page now reads
2 Recruit Messages Sent
1 Friends Recruited
20 Total Recruit Points
even though I haven't sent a second recruit message yet.
So now I've got 20 points. It's time to start thinking about awards.
First, this curious graphic:
which has two John McCains, kind of like that YouTube green screen video.
Then this prologue:
Dear Steve,
Ahmed Singh would like you to join Team McCain.
Please click here to join John McCain's team today. Only with your help and support can we elect John McCain the next President of the United States.
I hate to disappoint Team McCain, but if they really can't do it without my help....
Then the message from "Ahmed" quoted earlier, and a big green CONTRIBUTE button (that button seems to show up everywhere).
In the bottom panel this link appears: Please visit this page if you want to remove yourself from the email list. So apparently anyone who is sent a request by a friend is opted in to the email list.
And at the bottom of the panel, this disclaimer: This is a personal communication from Ahmed Singh and has not been reviewed by John McCain 2008. which is pretty much what I thought. Later I might try a message with a few suspicious words, just to see if the Team McCain robot uses a filter. But for now, I'm just Ahmed Singh, bustin' my chops for some points.
My alter ego "Steve" clicked on the Join link (using another browser, since the site uses cookies to keep track of login information). I'm now back on the "Tell us More About Yourself" page with its list of coalitions. I notice two things this time: every word except "us" is capitalized in the title (perhaps a moment of humility for Team McCain) and that there's an interesting pattern in the list of ethnic coalitions: African Americans, American Indians, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, Lebanese Americans. Did you catch the exception? All the groups except "Hispanics" have the adjective "American" associated with them. Is it possible that Team McCain is seeking the help of Hispanics who are not Americans? I. e. undocumented workers, for whom McCain had proposed amnesty, a position he changed after getting flack from conservatives in the media (see the January 30 Republican Candidate Debate). So I checked out McCain's platform on "Border Security and Immigration Reform" and found these statements: "a secure border will contribute to addressing our immigration problem most effectively if we also ... Recognize the importance of pro-growth policies -- keeping government spending in check, holding down taxes, and cutting unnecessary regulatory burdens -- so American businesses can hire and pay the best. Recognize the importance of a flexible labor market to keep employers in business and our economy on top." Hmmmm.
Also interesting on the coalition list is the way various religions are labeled: "Americans of Faith," "Catholics," "Jewish," and "Muslims for McCain." What about Protestant Christians? Apparently they're "Americans of Faith." Which would suggest that Catholics, Jews, and Muslims are not Americans of faith. Hmmmm.
At any rate, alter ego "Steve" selected "Americans of Faith" and "Sportsmen" from the Coalition list, and signed up.
But most important, Ahmed's page now reads
2 Recruit Messages Sent
1 Friends Recruited
20 Total Recruit Points
even though I haven't sent a second recruit message yet.
So now I've got 20 points. It's time to start thinking about awards.
I Recruit Myself
I ("Ahmed Singh") sent the following message to myself (at another email address).
Hi Steve,
I'm writing to ask you to join the McCain Team and show your support for John McCain for President. As a Muslim for McCain, I can vouch for Senator McCain's commitment to building a bridge of friendship between various faiths and beliefs, not just in America but world-wide.
I know that you're a Baptist, not a Muslim, Steve, but I hope you'll realize that for our world to survive in these troubled times, we must reach out to those of different faiths. While Senator is tough on terrorism, he understands that not all Muslims are terrorists, and that building a bridge of friendship will help not only our nation but our world.
The McCain website made easy work of sending emails to recruit friends, and even lets you import your Outlook address book.
They responded (automatically of course):
Thank You for Telling Your Friends About John McCain
Thank you for showing your support for John McCain. The stakes are high this election, so be sure to do all you can to make sure that John McCain is our next President. You can take an active role by:
Making a Contribution
Help provide us with the resources needed to win this campaign.
Volunteering
We need you to make the difference . If you have the passion, you can truly have an impact on this election.
Spread the Word
In a few moments, you can be doing your part to show your support for John McCain across the web.
And great news! My personalized message panel at the right of the McCain site layout shows 1 recruit point for having sent the email.
In the next post, I describe the complete email sent by "Ahmed" and the McCain site, as well as the results of joining with my second identity.
Hi Steve,
I'm writing to ask you to join the McCain Team and show your support for John McCain for President. As a Muslim for McCain, I can vouch for Senator McCain's commitment to building a bridge of friendship between various faiths and beliefs, not just in America but world-wide.
I know that you're a Baptist, not a Muslim, Steve, but I hope you'll realize that for our world to survive in these troubled times, we must reach out to those of different faiths. While Senator is tough on terrorism, he understands that not all Muslims are terrorists, and that building a bridge of friendship will help not only our nation but our world.
The McCain website made easy work of sending emails to recruit friends, and even lets you import your Outlook address book.
They responded (automatically of course):
Thank You for Telling Your Friends About John McCain
Thank you for showing your support for John McCain. The stakes are high this election, so be sure to do all you can to make sure that John McCain is our next President. You can take an active role by:
Making a Contribution
Help provide us with the resources needed to win this campaign.
Volunteering
We need you to make the difference . If you have the passion, you can truly have an impact on this election.
Spread the Word
In a few moments, you can be doing your part to show your support for John McCain across the web.
And great news! My personalized message panel at the right of the McCain site layout shows 1 recruit point for having sent the email.
In the next post, I describe the complete email sent by "Ahmed" and the McCain site, as well as the results of joining with my second identity.
The Mother Night Problem
I signed up at www.johnmccain.com using the name Ahmed Singh and chose "Alternative Energy Advisory Coalition" and "Muslims for McCain" as my coalitions. So far no email from Team McCain welcoming me aboard.
I found out that one way to get points is to refer friends to the site (they have to sign up).
This brings up the Mother Night problem: What if I get 5 friends to sign up,and somehow the site changes their political views and gets them to support McCain? And they, in pursuit of the desirable points, get 5 friends, etc. so that eventually millions of people who would have voted Democrat (or Green, or Nader, or Frank Moore) switch to the dark side, and McCain wins because of my help (or perhaps mine and Diebold's)?
But nothing I've seen on the site would, I believe, convince an ardent non-McCainite to vote Republican--it's pretty much preaching to the choir. Maybe I'm safe in that respect.
Unfortunately there's another Mother Night problem: what if I get so caught up in my political satire that I wind up just another dirty trickster? What will separate me from the campaign that uses this graphic
on a pseudo online poll that asks the question
"Is it ok to unconditionally meet with anti-American foreign leaders?"
So as a clean trickster, I vow here never to attribute any statement or belief to John McCain that I haven't found to be substantiated by reliable media. And I'll cite sources whenever appropriate.
I found out that one way to get points is to refer friends to the site (they have to sign up).
This brings up the Mother Night problem: What if I get 5 friends to sign up,and somehow the site changes their political views and gets them to support McCain? And they, in pursuit of the desirable points, get 5 friends, etc. so that eventually millions of people who would have voted Democrat (or Green, or Nader, or Frank Moore) switch to the dark side, and McCain wins because of my help (or perhaps mine and Diebold's)?
But nothing I've seen on the site would, I believe, convince an ardent non-McCainite to vote Republican--it's pretty much preaching to the choir. Maybe I'm safe in that respect.
Unfortunately there's another Mother Night problem: what if I get so caught up in my political satire that I wind up just another dirty trickster? What will separate me from the campaign that uses this graphic
on a pseudo online poll that asks the question
"Is it ok to unconditionally meet with anti-American foreign leaders?"
So as a clean trickster, I vow here never to attribute any statement or belief to John McCain that I haven't found to be substantiated by reliable media. And I'll cite sources whenever appropriate.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
I begin the quest for points
In wandering around the John McCain for President site (as a result of following a phony online poll), I discovered the following:
How is the information collected at JohnMcCain.com used?
Now what could be better than to earn points, and possibly even awards?
Follow me on this blog as I sign up as a member of Team McCain and begin my quest for these valuable (?) rewards. You can be certain I'll try to provide Team McCain with my own valuable insights.
How is the information collected at JohnMcCain.com used?
- We personalize the website and email communications. When you offer your personal information and/or choose to participate in our online efforts we use your information to personalize and customize Web pages and emails from JohnMcCain.com to you. We also use the information to credit individuals for their actions in support of Senator John McCain and McCain 2008. Actions taken on JohnMcCain.com may earn points, associated with an individual's information. Those points are used to determine awards that may be given in appreciation of user support.
Now what could be better than to earn points, and possibly even awards?
Follow me on this blog as I sign up as a member of Team McCain and begin my quest for these valuable (?) rewards. You can be certain I'll try to provide Team McCain with my own valuable insights.
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