So after I was clued into this by atrios, I went to google and ran a quick+dirty search on google for astroturf. What is astroturf? It's simple: someone writes a letter to the editor extolling a particular viewpoint. In this particular case, it was the President's decision to cut the dividend tax for investors. Next, said letter is sent all over the world to newspapers, only the name and address are changed to reflect a person living within the delivery range of the paper in question. Small papers (with little time to do internet fact-checking) are perfect targets. Altering a word or two between revisions will also stymie basic searches, although too much modification defeats the primary purpose of Astroturf: to reiterate talking points ad nauseum across the nation. It's kind of like getting a free advertisement in every paper's opinion section. But let's get back to the facts.

If you go to google and search for the phrase Bush is demonstrating genuine leadership, you'll get a number of hits, even if the entire statement is within quotes. This should be the first sign that something's fishy. Having such a length sentence in quotes still return multiple hits is a red flag that something has been copied. I found this one at the Boston Globe:

WHEN IT COMES to the economy, President Bush has demonstrating genuine leadership. The growth package he has proposed takes us in the right direction by accelerating the successful tax cuts of 2001, providing marriage penalty relief, and providing incentives for individuals and small businesses to save and invest.

Contrary to the class warfare rhetoric attacking Bush's plan, the proposal helps everyone who pays taxes and especially the middle class. This year alone, 92 million taxpayers will receive an immediate tax cut averaging $1,083 - and 46 million married couples will get back an average of $1,714. That's not pocket change for a family struggling through uncertain economic times. Combined with the president's new initiatives to help the unemployed, this plan gets people back to work and helps every sector of our economy.

STEPHANIE JOHNSON

Milton

Silly, but it gets the point across. Here's a sentiment from Honolulu:

When it comes to the economy, President Bush is demonstrating genuine leadership. His economic growth package will take us in the right direction by accelerating the successful tax cuts of 2001, providing marriage penalty relief, and incentives for individuals and small businesses to save and invest.

The president's plan helps everyone who pays taxes -- especially the middle class. This year alone, 92 million taxpayers will receive an immediate tax cut averaging $1,083 -- and 46 million married couples will get back an average of $1,714.

That's not pocket change for a family struggling through uncertain economic times. Combined with the president's new initiatives to help the unemployed, this plan gets people back to work and helps every sector of our economy.

Dirk M. Maurins
Hawaii Kai

Odd that two people so far apart would use such similar language, right? When you begin to add up the numbers though, the technique is truly frightening. Most internet-centric devices to muster support have always relied upon the power to rally thousands to a cause with a simple mouse click or keyboard button. Want to flood the USDA with complaints about a particular policy? Just blog about it and the masses will oblige. Despite the unruly nature of such a technique, at the back of it all is a democratic freedom where everyone gets a voice. Astroturf is the opposite: it is the move of a few people (using technology for a bad purpose) to pretend to be thousands, to pretend to be voicing a "popular" sentiment through deception. Fortunately, the same technology that allows someone to fire off a thousand e-mails to a thousand newspapers also allows us to track them, and, if possible, nail them to rights. So I e-mailed the Globe about the issue, and they informed me that they're looking into it. I'll keep the fans updated.