(CNN) – The Republican National Committee stepped up its efforts Tuesday to use social networking technologies that Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has effectively embraced in order to criticize the presumptive Democratic nominee as the campaign heads into the final 100 days.
BarackBook.com, the RNC’s new Web site parodies Facebook.com, the popular social networking site where Obama currently has 1.2 million supporters. The RNC says that Obama has seven “friends” on the parody site including convicted Chicago businessman Antoin “Tony” Rezko and William Ayers, a member of the Weather Underground during the 1970’s.
In addition to a feed page displaying activity between Obama and his “friends,” the RNC site also includes a page featuring YouTube videos about Obama, a page that facilitates donations to the RNC, an RSS feed of information from GOP.com, among other pages.
BarackBook.com is free-standing outside of Facebook but the site includes a link to the page of the RNC’s official Facebook group and a link to an application that duplicates the RNC’s parody site within the confines of Facebook.
“This is an interactive way to learn more about Obama’s poor judgment,” RNC spokesman Alex Conant said in a statement Tuesday. “Obama’s judgment is an issue in this election, and this site will help us highlight some of Obama’s noteworthy ‘friends.’”
The Obama campaign sees the new RNC site differently. “For comment on the new RNC site, I’d refer you to their own discussion board, specifically the topic ‘The site is lame,’” said an e-mail from Tommy Vietor of the Obama campaign, making a reference to comments posted on Facebook about the BarackBook application.
In recent days, both Obama and John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, have increased efforts to connect with supporters in on-line social networking environments. The McCain campaign recently launched “McCain Nation,” a space on the campaign’s Web site that facilitates grassroots organizing by supporters by allowing them to create and find events involving other McCain supporters. Since mid-June, the McCain campaign has also launched at least four separate applications on Facebook - a video tour of McCain’s bus, a video game, a virtual yard sign, and an application that allows users to view a McCain campaign advertisement.
The Obama campaign’s original Facebook application is credited with helping to build a large base of support on the social networking site. The campaign recently launched a Facebook second application that allows supporters on the popular social networking site to set up grassroots organizing events such as meetings, fundraisers, voter registration activities, phone banks, or community service.
Obama currently has a wide lead over McCain in terms of support on Facebook. Obama has 1.2 million supporters while McCain has 183,000 on the site.
From CNN Politics
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wow, how incredibly lame. Its just a front page.
Seriously rightwing, between this carrot top level paradoy and mcbush admiting he doesn't really understand nor use computers, I can't vote for you. ever.
Technology- Not a right wing strong point. Now barn raisings and witch burnings? WOOOOOOO!
"The Obama campaign sees the new RNC site differently. “For comment on the new RNC site, I’d refer you to their own discussion board, specifically the topic ‘The site is lame,’” said an e-mail from Tommy Vietor of the Obama campaign, making a reference to comments posted on Facebook about the BarackBook application."
I rest my case. Obama '08
Why doesn't the RNC tell the voters what they will do for them instead of continuously pulling this kind of crap. I really hope the US is smart enough this time around to show the RNC that they will not fall for this kind of garbage. I can't wait until November!!!!!
Oh goodie, can't wait to see it. It's about time the RNC starts letting this arrogant liar have it.
Kick him to the curb, he is not good enough to run this country.
McCain 08
They should do an episode of House with John McCain as a patient. It will be just a parody to highlight John M/ccains age as a real issue in the campaign.
LAME.
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
What a bunch of dorks.
I personally found the site funny!! they should add jermaiah wright
McCain doesn't even know how to turn on a computer, but he has his attack dogs use what could be an important 21st-century tool, and what do they do with it?
Attack, attack attack. McCain and the RNC are despicable. They don't even make me angry anymore – just sad and depressed.
Is this really what we've come to? How freaking ridiculous is this? With the myriad challenges and issues we face in this country and abroad it is astonishing to me that anyone could or would waste time or resources propogating this type of silliness. How can we sit up and proclaim ourselves the 'leaders' of the free world when we conduct ourselves and our politics with all the maturity and wisdom of 13 year old boys congratulating themselves for managing to sneek a frog into the teacher desk.
This is just stupid.
See Obama,
The internet can work both ways. Now all your "buddies" of questionable character will be exposed for the anti-Americans that they are.
Obama, you are a loser, a con man, a false prophet, and all you do is preach and you offer no solutions on anything, except higher taxes and bigger government.
You hate corporations, you hate capitalism, you are nothing but redistribution of wealth. No wonder all the socialists in Europe couldn't get enough of you.
Wow, how low can they go. The RNC is behaving like a teenaged cyber-bully.
Will not work!!!!! Not this time!!!!!
Republican for Barack Hussein Obama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, really lame...
Obama has "poor judgment? What about those used-to-be Bush voters soon to be McCain voters (I voted against McCain before I voted for him)?
Talk about lacking in judgment...
too bad John won't see it he'd be proud.
How lame. Can we start a McCain facebook with Keating as a "friend"?
Way to stay positive, McCain.
So, instead of highlighting your own positives and what you'll do for America, you're out fearmongering and bashing the other candidate.
Meanwhile, AFL-CIO is going to distribute something positive.
How can any person with even half a brain NOT see the difference?
The choice is slowly becoming "VOTE HATE" and "VOTE CHANGE"
Change may be scary (I'll be the first to admit it), but I'll take the risk over the sure-fire anger anyday. Freaks.
Perhaps the worst strategy of the most poorly run campaign in history. At least we know that McCain didn't create this site, he doesn't even know how to use a computer.
The Republican party entering in a vast conspiracy to disperse disinformation as a means to excite irrational fear for the purposes of securing an election? Frankly, I'm shocked.
REZKO AND AYERS ARE HIS FRIENDS...HILARIOUS!!!! THE RNC JUST GETS MORE SHAMEFUL BY THE SECOND!!!
Another desperate attempt to bring Obama down. How about addressing the issues that concern Americans? The McCain camps only view on the issues is attacking Barack Obama for his views. Get real.
OBAMA '08
Read my opiniions on the site cited in the article.
Need to take a look at this new site.
Isn't telling that the RNC has spent so much of their time and efforts bashing Barack Obama on personal matters rather than his positions. It's even funnier that McCain is letting it happen. If he doesn't have any control over what his party does... well, I'd hate to see what he would do as leader of the free world.
Seems the Republicans are a little frightened of Barack Obama.
“Obama’s judgment is an issue in this election, and this site will help us highlight some of Obama’s noteworthy ‘friends.’”
And McCain is a prodigy of Geroge Bush......so lame!
If McCain was offering something dramatically different this wouldn't be so comical.
There's only 2-4 degrees of seperation on anything in either agenda–to offer something truly new to us voters.
The only way we're going to make real change is replacing Dem. and Rep. leaders with Libertarians. Then we'll see real change–and more importantly–real removal of the governments hands from our pockets–and their pens from legislating every aspect of our lives from energy, commerce, airwaves, water, utilities–and even charging us to pay for the national weather service and NASA. If we can't feed our families–do we really care if man will visit Mars?