Liberal Astroturf: True Majority sending identical letters to the editor

[Eric J in MN]

The liberal organization, truemajority.org, has a new feature to send identical letters to editor with different names signed to them.

http://action.truemajority.org/l2e/index.asp?state=MN
"Send One Of Ours: We've written a few letters to make it even easier. We only send one copy of each letter to each paper, so check this list of papers that still have one available. Then we'll email one of the letters for you."

This is astroturf. Wrong for conservatives and wrong for liberals.

When I read the letters page in my local paper, I want to read my neighbors' words. Not the same exact words in various other newspapers, attributed to different names.

Anyway, if you agree that this is astroturf and True Majority should discontinue this feature, you can email them at:
[e-mail]

[Cleita]

1. I don't approve of astroturf no matter whose side it's coming from.

eom

[KCDem]

2. thanks for letting us know.

I think that's reprehensible. In any case, I find it obnoxious when the Repukes do it; we should be above that.

[Eric J in MN]

3. I agree that neither side should do it

Letters to the editor should be the words of the person whose name is in the byline.

True Majority got my email address when I responded to one of their action alerts, but I'm not sending them any money unless they discontinue this practice.

This is the True Majority email address:
[e-mail]

[DUreader]

4. True MoronJority

Pathetic

[KoKo]

6. DUreader, what do you have against "True Majority?" huh?

:shrug:

[DUreader]

9. Nothing, until this astroturf, it is a stupid amateurish tactic

[BlueEyedSon]

5. Fair and balanced reply (is poster a troll?)

This is exactly what it says on the True Majority website:

<snip>
Write Your Own: Click here to write your own letter to any paper in the state. We'll help you with some bullet points, and then email it for you

OR

Send One Of Ours: We've written a few letters to make it even easier. We only send one copy of each letter to each paper, so check this list of papers that still have one available. Then we'll email one of the letters for you.
<snip>

So, they are encouraging you to "Write your own", it's the first choice. Also, they are actively minimizing the "turfiness" of the emails becuase they will "only send one copy of each letter to each paper." If you don't like astroturf, don't ever use the second option. Simple, huh?

[karlschneider]

7. It is a question of hypocrisy. We condemn when the wingnuts do it...

because it is not truly representative. I realize that sometimes it really is necessary to fight fire with fire, but when it burns down our own houses, it isn't productive. This is something that can come back to bite us on the ass (and given the exposure here at DU probably will.)

I discourage it for practical as well as moral reasons.
JMO

[Eric J in MN]

8. They're trying to avoid getting caught by sending one copy

they're trying to avoid getting caught by sending one copy to each newspaper.

It's still dishonest to send identical letters to newspapers across the country with different bylines (none of the bylines containing the real author's name).

A letter to the editor should be a person's own words.

Yes, True Majority has two options. The astroturf-identical letter option should be removed from their website.

[Eric J in MN]

10. kick

kick