Obama’s Twitter plan backfires

“Build it and they will come,” but they may also trash the place, is an accurate axiom for anything online, President Barack Obama is learning.

AttackWatch.com seems to do plenty of attacking itself.

AttackWatch.com seems to do plenty of attacking itself.

The president, whose campaign launched a website to track and rebuff anti-Obama attacks, encouraged his supporters to take it to the Tweets with an #attackwatch hashtag, but the Twitterverse is comprised of a much more politically diverse, and perhaps cruel, crowd than the last time he ran for office.

The hashtag has been taken over by comedians who seem content to mock and ridicule, says a Wall Street Journal blog.

Those with a conservative bent have been drawn to the hashtag as though it were a tax-and-spend flame:

@Drill_Thrawl Hey Kids, are mommy and daddy talking bad about Obama? Be sure to report them at #attackwatch #1984

@gregmcrc … check this=9% unemployment, no green jobs, 49 million uninsured, 1 in 6 Americans in poverty

#AttackWatch If you want to really upset a megalomaniacal wannabe dictator, just mock him via social media.

@bonnie1b: Jobless claims jump to 448,000 #attackwatch

Jimmy Carter must be feeling good knowing he’s no longer the worst president in U.S. history. #attackwatch

AttackWatch.com is similar to a “Fight The Smears” site Obama unleashed during his 2008 campaign, says The International Business Times, which says the new site has “become a laughingstock.”

Conservative talk show hosts are getting in on the act, including Neal Boortz (aka @talkmaster):

@attackwatch, you can tell me just how much money Obama thinks I should make. Don’t want to exceed his limit, you understand.

I don’t claim to be an expert on politics, but “control the message” has to be a basic tenet of campaigning. Unleashing the #attackwatch hashtag on an embittered public doesn’t seem wise.

I speak from experience, just read the comments below. :)

239 comments Add your comment

CowboyRT

September 15th, 2011
11:30 am

Obama killed Osama !!

Ron Burgundy

September 15th, 2011
11:32 am

Obama singlehandedly killed OBL. I mean forget all that interrogation stuff at Gitmo the libs hated cause it was mean….it was Obama!

Derek

September 15th, 2011
11:32 am

OMG= Obama Must Go

kgray

September 15th, 2011
11:32 am

Ron Burgundy, first I have more intelligence that you have in your little finger. The money that was given to the car companies has worked and each one has paid back every dime to the government. You guy are ignorant if you think that he was elected because he was African American, no he was elected because he was the most qualified out of the candidates. Again, if any of you really think that Sarah Palin or Michelle Bachmann will become President are delusional. I do feel that the wealthy of this country should pay their fair share of taxes and not continue to defer them and send their procedes over seas to avoid paying what they should and I know this first hand from working in banking as a personal banker. The Coke brothers are perfect examples of why they don’t want President Obama elected again and to do away with labor unions. So that they can bring in worker and not pay them their required disignated union pay and to have no bid government contracts awarded, just like our former VP did for Halliburton. Don’t get me started and I will spill all the beans on these crooks.

commoncents

September 15th, 2011
11:35 am

Realistic- “The real issue with Obama is just what Jimmy Carter said he’s a non white and he is the president”

You’re quoting a failed hack to support an idiot? That seems illogical.
People don’t dislike Obama because he’s black, they dislike him because of his condescending attitude, his failed social policies and the fact that neither him nor his gaggle of advisors have respect for others.

“No he’s not perfect but he believes in it and will risk his life in trying to put it in action. To me that’s a leader.”- Then you should have LOVED GWB. I don’t think anyone out there loves America more than that man and he showed it day in and day out with every action he took.

Ron Burgundy

September 15th, 2011
11:35 am

Who said he was elected because he was African American? I said 95% of one race voted for him. To me that is marginalizing yourself.

BTW – the car companies have not paid it all back. I know you read some lib article saying otherwise. the auto bailout was a JOKE. I mean GM still makes crap….UAW is still a leech sucking its host dry.

BTW – when did I mention palin or Bachman? Man yo really lie to infer…must have thin skin.

Ron Burgundy

September 15th, 2011
11:36 am

OH NO KGRAY….DONT SPILL THE BEANS!!! LOL!

Fletch

September 15th, 2011
11:37 am

he is probably shocked that he isn’t getting his way again. this has never happened to him before…

commoncents

September 15th, 2011
11:37 am

kgray- “Ron Burgundy, first I have more intelligence that you have in your little finger”

Irony?

Ron Burgundy

September 15th, 2011
11:37 am

KGRAY says the rich don’t pay their fair share. I giuess 90% of the revenues coming from 10% is not fair. Oh well.

There should be a study done on people in poverty who are uninsured. how many have internet, cell phones (even smart phones) and cable TV (possibly HBO).