Astroturf: Difference between revisions

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* 2008 US presidential candidate [[Ron Paul]]'s (primarily Internet-based) campaign was accused of using astroturf tactics. At the very least, it is almost certain that some of his more vocal supporters and workers, who tended to flock to any mention of his name on forums, blogs, or [[YouTube]] comments, seemed to utilize the tactics of spammers or weren't averse to the use of [http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2007/10/ron-paul-camp-gets-over-enthusiastic-with-spam.ars spambots.]

** Likewise, the Tea Party movement<ref>Which got its start largely among Ron Paul's supporters, many of whom already used Boston Tea Party imagery during his campaign.</ref> and its ideological mirror, the Occupy movement. Given that there are hundreds of Tea Party and Occupy groups, which often have little connection beyond basic ideology, it should come as no surprise that, while some of them are indeed grassroots, others are blatant astroturf. Whether the astroturfers are the driving force, or just corporate/union/special-interest groups trying to hijack the "brand" remains a source of bitter debate, and most people's opinions on that question seem to be determined by their own political beliefs.

* The "Swift Boat Veterans For Truth," whose commercials helped sink John Kerry's presidential hopes in 2004, were alleged by some to be a Republican front group. Subsequent investigation showed that the group was sponsored by people who supported the Republican party, and that the veterans had indeed served in Vietnam, but not with John Kerry. Their statements were false, but ultimately effective.

* The "Swift Boat Veterans For Truth", whose commercials helped sink John Kerry's presidential hopes in 2004, were alleged by some to be a Republican front group. Subsequent investigation showed that the group was sponsored by people who supported the Republican party, and that the veterans had indeed served in Vietnam, but not with John Kerry. Their statements were false, but ultimately effective.

* Nearly every pro-[[North Korea]]n statement on the Internet, including several accounts on [[YouTube]] and an incident on [[The Other Tropes Wiki]] involving a certain [[Troll]], is believed to originate from a North Korean government [[Sock Puppet]].

* ''[https://twitchy.com/jimj-3633/2014/10/22/hilarious-mockery-my-friends-and-i-just-voted-for-wendy-davis-pics/ Wendy Davis caught conjuring up 'imaginary friends']''. This not only earned comment "Her Astroturf isn't even real Astroturf. Now that's embarrassing", but also mockery via posting some or other obviously unrelated photo as "Wendy's voters" — up to and including ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (album)|Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]''.

* ''[https://twitchy.com/jimj-3633/2014/10/22/hilarious-mockery-my-friends-and-i-just-voted-for-wendy-davis-pics/ Wendy Davis caught conjuring up 'imaginary friends']''. This not only earned the comment "Her Astroturf isn't even real Astroturf. Now that's embarrassing", but also mockery via posting some or other obviously unrelated photo as "Wendy's voters" — up to and including ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (album)|Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]''.

* In 2016, a Harvard University study revealed evidence that [http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/05/20/china_caught_astroturfing_political_posts/ an astroturfing team sponsored by the Chinese government] was involved in a massive campaign to direct discussions on social media and other channels away from threads and subjects critical of the Communist government. For a totalitarian regime's strategy, it is surprisingly subtle and low-key, relying on distraction and redirection rather than confrontation and censorship.