White House introduces new online petition website for some reason
posted at 10:26 pm on September 1, 2011 by Allahpundit
There’s nothing wrong with this as far as gimmicks go. Eric Cantor did something similar with YouCut, after all. And if you read this harrowing WaPo piece today about the dramatic loss of faith in government after the debt-ceiling standoff, then you’ll understand why the White House might want to do some interactive outreach to the public. But after watching the video on the petition website, I still can’t help snickering. Who are these petitions meant for, exactly? They can’t be meant for Obama, can they? Note to The One: If you need a petition to tell you what’s on voters’ minds these days, you’re beyond help. Throw in the towel and enjoy a comfortable retirement in 2013.
If, as I suspect, the site is really just a ploy for his campaign so that they can direct Obama donors there and crank out talking-point petitions for him about how “the people” demand tax hikes on the rich or whatever, then it’s very much true to form. Petitions are supposed to be grassroots populist measures aimed at getting the government to act; if this is a campaign device then it’s really the opposite, a way for the head of government to get his supporters to act on his behalf so that he can get reelected. In fact, tea-party groups are already looking into this as a type of lobbying venture paid for with taxpayer money. I doubt it’s illegal, but it tells you a lot about how far the 2008 magic has faded that Captain Charisma might now be relying on Internet petitions to try to influence Congress.
I’ve got a petition idea, actually: “We the undersigned believe that the guy who packaged himself as an avatar of hope three years ago should try not to act like a total d-bag next year.” Click the image to watch.
Blowback
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Can we recall him?
Fallon on September 1, 2011 at 10:28 PM
Whom do I petition for impeachment?
SouthernGent on September 1, 2011 at 10:31 PM
“I object, your honor! This trial is a travesty. It’s a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham.”
rayra on September 1, 2011 at 10:31 PM
Tell him to fess up about where all the money’s gone, and the gun walker issue. I’d be most interested to hear about that. His silence tells us what we need to know. He’s involved.
capejasmine on September 1, 2011 at 10:32 PM
I signed the petitions to ban Gibson Guitar and the silent killer, dihydrogen monoxide.
Christien on September 1, 2011 at 10:32 PM
Depending on whether they like the petition or not, you end up on one of two lists: “donors” or “enemies”.
cthulhu on September 1, 2011 at 10:32 PM
What he said!!!
capejasmine on September 1, 2011 at 10:33 PM
both FDR and BHO have told their wacko lefty base to “make me do it”…this is just one more mechanism for leftists to “make our voices heard”
r keller on September 1, 2011 at 10:35 PM
Ayyyyy. Jump that shark with me, Obama. Ayyyyyy!
Who knew that Henry Winkler (all 5’4″ of him) would become popular in 2011? Ayyyyyyyyy.
/LOL
Key West Reader on September 1, 2011 at 10:35 PM
And those on the enemies list find a flash mob trashing their home or place of business. I knew there was a reason why the headline made me uneasy.
ThePrez on September 1, 2011 at 10:36 PM
Or, it could be an email harvesting platform… it needs to be looked out how the information submitted is used… will his campaign cross reference email addresses with his campaign?
ninjapirate on September 1, 2011 at 10:36 PM
But you didn’t sign to end women’s suffrage? What kind of monster are you?
malclave on September 1, 2011 at 10:36 PM
Exactly, how will the email addresses who petition on something like Fast and Furious be used?
Just look at what is happened to Gibson Guitars… I would be afraid to petition against Obama with my real email address…
ninjapirate on September 1, 2011 at 10:38 PM
This guy is crazy. Seriously.
I can not wait to see how he acts after he is kicked out of office.
It will be unprecedented behavior for a former president. Mark my words.
Carter built houses for Habitat for Humanity (with several instances of butting in to “scold the Jooooohhhhhssssss” and put his foot in his mouth.
Clenis just comes out and lets everyone know he is still around every now and then.
But this guy, he will be something else. I predict lots of appearances on MSNBC and CNN.
carbon_footprint on September 1, 2011 at 10:38 PM
If Obama gets his “Infrastructure Bank” it’s over.
Key West Reader on September 1, 2011 at 10:39 PM
I figured that one should be determined by the vote…one man, one vote.
Christien on September 1, 2011 at 10:41 PM
It’s called “capturing personal information about Americans related to IPAs”…
Lourdes on September 1, 2011 at 10:43 PM
…Meaning, I would not trust anything that the Obama Administration and the DNC and associated players do. Not ANYthing.
Lourdes on September 1, 2011 at 10:44 PM
We are the ones we’ve been working for
blatantblue on September 1, 2011 at 10:44 PM
This sounds soooo familiar.
Obama is really going to do this. Again.
Key West Reader on September 1, 2011 at 10:44 PM
DITTO.
Lourdes on September 1, 2011 at 10:46 PM
Now you tell me. I shouldn’t have signed that petition to ban India Pale Ales.
Christien on September 1, 2011 at 10:48 PM
signed,
HotAir Regular
ted c on September 1, 2011 at 10:48 PM
Mine would go into the pile stamped “Gulag”.
justltl on September 1, 2011 at 10:52 PM
Was thinking the same thing today. Former President DDD will be the most obnoxious, most followed, and most quoted by the media ex-pres in history, especially when he joins up with his life-long friends Ayers and the Rev-Jerrry, to do everything they can do to tear the country down, from the outside. In his ex-presidency, he will make Carter look like a patriot. I look with disdain at these future moments yet, at once, welcome them … since as ex-president he cannot do the damage to the country he’s been doing and will be doing until his last day in office.
TXUS on September 1, 2011 at 10:52 PM
OT: “Keith Olbermann’s Countdown on Current hit an all-time low last
week in the 25-54 demographic. The show pulled in 85,000 viewers in the demo, that was down 2 percent compared to the previous week when the debt ceiling debate was still roiling Washington. Countdown averaged 208,000 total viewers, up 5 percent week-to-week.”
andy85719 on September 1, 2011 at 10:54 PM
Time to collect email addresses for the 2012 campaign I guess.
Ronnie on September 1, 2011 at 10:54 PM
Love that bit (the Dihydrogen Monoxide petition bit that Penn and Teller did.)
massrighty on September 1, 2011 at 11:00 PM
Put Oh’Bama’s head on his Mentor’s head.
Heh
Key West Reader on September 1, 2011 at 11:03 PM
They’ll probably send all those petitions to the MinLove or MinTruth. Just sayin’
kringeesmom on September 1, 2011 at 11:11 PM
This is like that e-townhall thing he did to have people go to a White House website and submit questions for him to answer.
What’s the over/under on the number of ‘Legalize Marijuana’ petitions?
Left Coast Right Mind on September 1, 2011 at 11:13 PM
Laugh all you want, this is an “instant justification” machine.
The O-Gang will use it to justify destroying everyone and everything that stands in the way of their dictatorship.
CrazyGene on September 1, 2011 at 11:13 PM
This is another example of Obama trying to make Congress seem irrelevant to the masses.
ButterflyDragon on September 1, 2011 at 11:15 PM
Absolutely, looking so forward to that day.
carbon_footprint on September 1, 2011 at 11:16 PM
Conservatives should co-opt this.
theperfecteconomist on September 1, 2011 at 11:17 PM
We will try. In my mind, this is actually a brilliant move by Dear Leader. Imagine petitions being created for his every whim and emails originating from OFA going out to millions of Zerobots instructing them to go sign them. Everything he wants to do will get millions of signatures. Conservative efforts to co-opt will get fewer signatures and therefore much less imaginary support. Presto! Liberal ideas are more popular than conservative ideas!
stvnscott on September 1, 2011 at 11:22 PM
Can I petition to have my next door neighbor’s Gibson impounded?
Fuquay Steve on September 1, 2011 at 11:43 PM
True, and if you go through the site and to the email link page you’ll see there is no privacy policy (they ask for your email address & zip code). Looks like another DNC data-mining operation….
Buy Danish on September 2, 2011 at 12:24 AM
The guy in the video said that 2008 was an uplifting campaign.
Not if you were George Bush it wasn’t.
IlikedAUH2O on September 2, 2011 at 12:35 AM
I actually listened to 4 minutes of that crap. When he started talking about blood, sweat and tears all I could think of was:
What goes up must come down
Spinnin wheel got to go round….
Vince on September 2, 2011 at 12:45 AM
What I meant was, the Dems are attacking. So what is new?
IlikedAUH2O on September 2, 2011 at 12:46 AM
What’s the number for that website, Joe?
Ronnie on September 2, 2011 at 12:47 AM
Of course it is. Astroblogging? Astroblogging on the taxpayers’ dime.
petefrt on September 2, 2011 at 1:00 AM
Can I petition for free gas?
/
Man I was really expecting a thread on the Presser next week. I guess we can’t have fun any more.
antisocial on September 2, 2011 at 1:08 AM
I am sorry… The address to joint session of congress.
antisocial on September 2, 2011 at 1:09 AM
I always thought the government organized things called elections to see what the people wanted. So if requiring an ID disenfranchises poor citizens, what does needed a computer and an internet connection do?
Ronnie on September 2, 2011 at 2:42 AM
September 2… September 2… the day Ayn Rand started writing Atlas Shrugged. So this day the Moocher in Chief sets up the perfect tool for his campaign. This way he can always say, “The People told me to!” no matter what hair-brained scheme he has in mind. “It came from a suggestion on our open petition forum.” No good can come of this.
Myno on September 2, 2011 at 3:52 AM
Will their be a petition for Obama to pay mah mortgage? I’ve been waitin foevah.
Don L on September 2, 2011 at 6:15 AM
Say, this petition at the white House stuff wouldn’t just be some kind of high-tech enemies list now, would it? Naw, even Saul Alinsky wouldn’t try anything that dangerous, Would he?
Don L on September 2, 2011 at 6:20 AM
“Captain Charisma”
*snicker*
nukemhill on September 2, 2011 at 8:26 AM
Yeah, it worked so well in the UK.
http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-spokane/white-house-announces-creation-of-online-petition-site
jdawg on September 2, 2011 at 10:48 AM
This has nothing to do with “petitions”. This is social media networking/marketing gathering as many emails and names as possible and using those lists for fund raising. Pretty obvious just like those GOP “surveys” I chuck in the trash every other week.
Bonhomme on September 2, 2011 at 10:53 AM