Fighting Dirty on the Net

By Ana Marie Cox

Online political debate is not known for its subtlety--the blogosphere rewards the loudest voices and the brashest opinions. So it should be no surprise that, ahead of November's elections, the Net has become home to campaign tactics and material too inflammatory or incredible for traditional channels. Example: the Republican ad deemed "too hot" for TV--a spoof depicting a clownish Madeleine Albright singing Kumbaya with Islamic terrorists--that was "obtained" by the Drudge Report and shown via YouTube. The Internet is also becoming the place for more cunning, understated forms of mudslinging. Here are some favored tactics in the efforts online to spread partisan disinformation:

FAKEBOOK

The networking site Facebook has been a virtual rope line for politicians all election season long. But some candidates are finding that others are putting their faces forward for them--with unwelcome results. The president of a Maryland college Democrats group posted a snarky profile of G.O.P. Governor Bob Ehrlich--now in a tough re-election race--listing Ehrlich's favorite activities as "getting terrible haircuts" and "increasing college tuition by almost 50% in four short years." Though that profile has been taken down, Ehrlich's spokeswoman said she is confident in voters' ability to spot sham profiles. She had better hope she's right: some Facebook users quickly formed a group solely to pester the fake Ehrlich and to post more fake details. For example, "We lived together in Liza Minnelli's dressing room in 1986." Weird.

CONCERN TROLLS

Criticism from someone we agree with is the criticism we take most seriously. That may be why staff members from two G.O.P. campaigns allegedly posed as sympathetic commentators on message boards about their rivals. In blogs covering the close race between Democratic Senator Robert Menendez and Republican challenger Tom Kean Jr., someone claiming to be "an ardent Democrat" posted comments about being troubled by the business dealings of Menendez. The posts were traced to a computer belonging to a Kean staff member. In New Hampshire, an aide to G.O.P. Congressman Charlie Bass resigned after local media reported that, using the names "IndyNH" and "indienh," he had posted messages to liberal blogs wondering if Dems should be spending "wasted effort" on Bass's opponent, as Bass was unbeatable.

YOUR ROOTS ARE SHOWING

The opposite of fake concern is fake hate--doing something reprehensible while posing as an ally of your opponent. Last month e-mail invitations went out to liberal bloggers to join a YouTube group, urging "Democrats [to] assemble here and share videos." But the videos posted were not exactly typical liberal fodder: one applauded the takeover of the Southwest by Mexico while another mocked the Marines for allowing "dwarves and women" to join. The group was soon called out as fake by liberal bloggers--and is now defunct. It's an indication of how short-lived online pranks can be. But the medium is here to stay, and the tactics are maturing--even if the mentality of the dirty tricksters clearly is not.