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President Obama’s Campaign Releases First-Ever ‘Truth Team Tip Sheet’

» 91 comments

It’s not exactly Detective Comics #27, or a first printing of the Gutenberg Bible (who knew the Police Academy movies were so rich in religious subtext?), but Friday night saw the release of the inaugural Obama For America Truth Team Tip Sheet, a collection of political bullets for supporters to fire at the watercooler, and into the social media stratosphere. Now, I just need to figure out how to get an email into a durable, acid-free plastic sleeve.

The “Truth Team,” rolled out earlier this week, is this year’s version of the President’s 2008 campaign “Fight the Smears” site, and folds in the already-existing AttackWatch site, along with companion sites that “Keep the GOP honest” and highlight the President’s record of “Keeping His Word.”

When launched, AttackWatch created a media mini-firestorm, but didn’t really go anywhere. I signed up by “reporting” conservative attacks on the AttackWatch site, but never got any response, or any email of any kind, from AttackWatch. Apparently, though, that interaction grandfathered me into a subscription to the “Truth Team Tip Sheet.”

From Obama For America’s email to supporters:

Tommy –

Welcome to the Truth Team tipsheet. You signed up to be part of the team that fights back, and there’s no time to waste.

This is the first of regular updates we’ll be sending with actions you can take immediately to help support the President — to debunk false attacks and make sure folks hear about what we’ve accomplished.

Here’s how it works: We’ll round up the best of our posts and turn them into short items, with Facebook and Twitter buttons after each so you can instantly share them with friends and family as you go down the list.

The tip sheet illustrates what the Obama campaign does best, leveraging their extensive network of small donors and supporters into a grassroots messaging army. The social media component is a smart feature that could potentially have a huge multiplier effect.

This effort also underscores a key difference in the way Obama for America operates, as compared to other presidential campaigns. This will probably change once the Republican nomination is settled, but until now, the OFA press shop hasn’t been very active at all in broadcasting oppo research, and other campaign messaging, to journalists. While the Republican presidential campaigns push out dozens of memos to reporters every day, the Obama campaign has averaged about five a month since October.

Instead, they have concentrated their efforts on that network of supporters. They don’t announce their fundraising numbers via press releases, they release that information to supporters, and we get it right along with them. This accomplishes the dual functions of capitalizing on that huge base of supporters, and making them feel more important, more valued, and as a consequence, more energized.

This election has been a chaotic case study in political campaigning, with Rick Santorum’s bargain-basement victory in Iowa, Newt Gingrich’s Adelson-aided victory in South Carolina, and Mitt Romney’s mud-slinging barrage in Florida each teaching different lessons about the role of big money in politics. The President has taken heat for encouraging donations to his SuperPAC, but efforts like this one could prove to be an inexpensive way to cut through all of that independent expenditure noise.

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  • Gloves Cledus Donahue

    Do we report Republicans who ” act stupidly”, or neighbors who ” seem fishy” or do we just ” get in their faces? “

  • Pablo

    Apparently, though, that interaction grandfathered me into a subscription to the “Truth Team Tip Sheet.”

    Have no fear! You have been assimilated.

  • http://twitter.com/JustGrunt Just A Grunt

    Sure seems like Media Matters, er excuse me the Obama camp is really working hard on this truth issue. Is that because nobody trusts him to tell the truth and so all these groups have to tell us what ‘is’ is.
     

  • Pablo

     I think we’re just supposed to punch back twice as hard when we punish our enemies.

  • Pablo

    It reminds me of people who use “truth” or some variant thereof in their internet handles. They’re usually lying.

  • Anonymous

    Pot meet kettle.

  • Anonymous

    The Jesters will do their part by digging a moat around the Royal Castle and filling it with alligators.

  • Anonymous

    Yet “Pablo” is simply a name, and therefore cannot be a lie …

    “exGOPman”, on the other hand …

  • Anonymous

    “Yet “Pablo” is simply a name, and therefore cannot be a lie …”

    You’re not a very deep thinker, are you?

  • Anonymous

    I’m not signing up. I want to present my own snarky comments.

  • http://twitter.com/chiefjgmac chiefjgmac

    What do we do when we see the President or any of his team put out lies or in most cases half truths?  

  • Anonymous

    If he doesn’t believe the BS from MM and WH then he’s already a step ahead of you.

  • Anonymous

    They forgot the “ps: Your brown shirt with the Obama logo is in the mail.”

  • Anonymous

    This truth team is designed to dispel the lies from GOP candidates &/or senators. I as an Obama supporter(can’t fathom the alternative) I signed up for this months ago & got my first e-mail yesterday. It was very well done & even offered a twitter & facebook button if you wanted to share it. Let’s all face it the GOP are the biggest liars.

  • Anonymous

    How would anyone possibly have time to report Republicans who act stupidly, it would require 24/7 reporting, the lists would be endless and the short list would likely be of Republicans who have a brain.

  • Anonymous

    But Pablo regurgitates talking points from Breitbart, Fox and World Nuts Daily. It’s kind of deranged to think that that kind of shallow punditry is journalism and that the MM (which employs true intrepid reporters like Anthony Shadid) can’t be trusted.

    Truly deranged.

  • Pablo

    Exactly right. Good example.

  • Anonymous

    Dispelling what one perceives to be a lie, with an even bigger lie, does not equal truth.

    You were excited about the Facebook and Twitter buttons ?  Damn, you are easy.

  • AIiveStiIIKickin

    Obama and truth….WTF?
    Now I’m REALLY confused.

  • Anonymous

    Isn’t it frightening – a message to Tommy that he is part of the “truth team” and it’s time for him to get to work.

    Why isn’t this frightening?  Why is this acceptable?  Why do we wonder about the slant on any story on here.

    p.s. where was the story about “chink in the armor”?

    We’ve got fools who argue over whether Obama said bus or car (it’s now according to wheel base) – it’s beyond insane.
    I gather because he said car – the republicans just don’t fit in, especially if it’s a two seater. lol

    Only in the minds of the deranged, is this acceptable behavior from the Pres.  

    Interesting read on how many people his “team” slimed with records that were supposedly sealed, and yet he found the magic key to open them, and that was fine, on his way to the Podium.  Yet, his records sealed with crazy glue in a crypt somewhere.

    Axelrod – took down Cain quickly because the race card was off the table while Herman was standing.  Just sick, and it gets a pass.

  • Anonymous

    We are just pointing out your hypocrisy.  We all know you were never a republican.  Just sayin’

  • NDanielson

    And clowns who say they used to be republicans until _________________? You know, ExGop types?

  • Anonymous

    You want someone that has made a life with being a liar- Find a way to look into the past of mr obama. They could use his life as a “Liar 101″ in any college.  

  • NDanielson

    And your conversion to the liberal party was to push for the greatness of socialism??? After much “deep thought”? LOL. Like the socialism sweeping Greece, Portugal, Spain, the UK, etc? Or do your sentiments on America align more accurately with Jeremiah and Michelle after more “deep thought”?

  • http://twitter.com/Elscotem Scott Morgan

    Point #1- Yes Obama is a muslum, a fraud, a usurper, the leader of the Occupy Whitehouse movement, a foreigner, etc., …..
    Point #2- Obama believes in creating jobs and wealth, for every country but the USA.
    Point #3- Spreading the wealth is working, Americans wealth is spread as thin as possible, but not thin enough to stop his vacations.
    And the list goes on.
    Time to kick his butt out of office and lock him up, then he can be deported back to Africa, although, they probably wouldn’t want him either.

  • NDanielson

     Will they bring a knife or a gun to work?

  • http://profiles.google.com/anonymoususr . .

    … by the crazy people of the racist, sexist, and economically imbecilic tea party movement.

  • http://profiles.google.com/anonymoususr . .

    No, just a lie detector for all the lying Republicans (pardon the redundancy) out there

  • http://profiles.google.com/anonymoususr . .

    like whom?

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WH3ZLMM7CUKUHUIMK4TKXW6SQE John

    You have been reported.  The Truth Team will arrive at your door shortly.

  • AIiveStiIIKickin

    They need a whole TEAM to come up with the truth?
    Oh…this is gonna’ work

  • NDanielson

    That Tommy is part of Barry’s “truth” team says all you need to know about it being truthful. The truth according to liberals is entirely dependent on obfuscation, omission, half the story being presented, carrying lies forward, using anonymous sources, “those that say” quotes, miss-spoken quotes, quotes out of context, lies out of whole cloth, stretching, twisting, misrepresenting, willing accomplices to perpetuate the lies, unnamed sources, innuendo, sensationalism of opponents transgressions, downplaying, or hiding liberal transgressions, hypocrisy, 24/7 news cycles to smear, rinse, repeat, repeat, repeat the lies. And it all depends on willing sheep to eat it up and regurgitate.

  • Anonymous

    What’s the “pat response” to somebody pointing out the Laughing Smiley Face on Barry’s FAKE white house birth certificate?
    http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/04/27/president-obamas-long-form-birth-certificate
    Zoom in and look at “Alvin” on the bottom. On the “A” of it there’s a Smiley Face that is LAUGHING at all the lemmings who believe Barry is for real.

    EXPLAIN a Smiley Face on a supposedly REAL DOCUMENT, please!

  • Anonymous

    It’s all “wag-the-dog” while Barry gets ready to start WWIII by bombing Iran. The guy think’s he’s god since he was groomed as the Manchurian Candidate from birth but his ego gets in the way of he seeing he’s going to be the Sacrificial Lamb.
    The Elite hate him because they’re racist. They froth at the mouth of “outing” him. (why would anybody create a puppet with so much in the closet unless you PLANNED to control him because of he wanting it kept secret – bisexual, birth, etc.)
    The Elite have talked of a New World Order for decades. The main object has been the USA being too powerful. How better to “take out” that “opposition” than put in a Fake president who you plan to do a JFK on and who has run on Racism so you can get “rioting” (probably instigated by the CIA “terrorists” around the world decending here for the “occasion”), declare Martial Law, and when it’s SHOWN that the president is fake, Congress is complicit, the Supreme Court is complicit, so there is essentially NO federal government – voila – declare the country DEFUNCT and needing to be “saved” by the United Nations (New World Order).

  • Pablo

     Tommy? He’d slit his own throat first.

  • Pablo

    All the best former Republicans are unvarnished Marxists now. :)

  • Cecelia

    They’re watching you…

  • Cecelia

    That’s as good as argument as any that people have nothing to fear here. 

    When you’re dealing with people who morph reporting “smears” into reports of people  acting “stupidly”, I’d say the Obama Ministry for Truth, is going to the stuff of The Onion.

  • Cecelia

    Now that we’ve gotten the emphasis on truth squads as campaign constituent organizing….expect  a patented Tommy Christopher  (TM) utterly self-referential treatise on how Obama truth squad as an Orwellian symbol reference won’t fly because everyone knows that Republicans are the folks who are Orwellian, or they at least make themselves seem Orwellian.

  • Anonymous

    Let ‘em try to swim through the moat full of alligators !!

  • Pablo

    I like how Tommy thinks “grassroots messaging” comes top down from the President of the United States and his campaign.

  • Anonymous

    “We all know you were never a republican.”

    LOL! Proving again that today’s Republicans don’t make judgments based on facts. They make judgments based on truthiness.

  • Anonymous

    Hey, Danielson. Any time I gave a rat’s ass what an easily-manipulated, nonsense-spouting tea bagger thinks, I’ll give you a holler. Till then, shove off, little man.

  • Anonymous

    Don’t forget the electric fence.

  • NDanielson

     Top down means applying the fertilizer.

  • Anonymous

    Nice synopsis of Fox News,

  • http://www.facebook.com/kevgib Kevin Gibbons

    Dude….just lay down….I will call 911 for you.    Bless your heart.

  • Anonymous

    Better an unvarnished Marxist than an uneducated bagger.

  • Anonymous

    As I figured, Democrats NEVER have answers and have to resort to something they think is “cute”.
    That’s okay. When you grow up and don’t need to hold your mom’s hand to feel safe, you might consider looking then.

  • http://www.facebook.com/kevgib Kevin Gibbons

    Am I supposed to answer to what you think is a smiley face on a man’s signature.   Someday you will look back in shame and wonder how you were so suckered into this Birther crap. And when you do I want you to think of me…..laughing and think of Obama winning.

  • http://www.facebook.com/kevgib Kevin Gibbons

    The GOP has lost it’s mind. This is what the end of a political party looks like.

  • http://www.facebook.com/kevgib Kevin Gibbons

    Point #1- Your mama is a Muslim…
    Point #2 -3 million jobs and 24 months of Job Growth…suck on that.
    Point #3 – Bush had three times the vacation days as Obama….you dummy
    Point #4 – Don’t hate the player!

  • http://www.facebook.com/kevgib Kevin Gibbons

    Trust me…you have been confused for a very very long time.

  • http://www.facebook.com/kevgib Kevin Gibbons

    Auto Bailout Worked……….period.
    OBL is dead………..deal with it
    24 months of job growth……sit and sping dingleberry

  • http://www.facebook.com/kevgib Kevin Gibbons

    Your just mad because he came in and fixed all the shit you idiots broke.

  • http://www.facebook.com/kevgib Kevin Gibbons

    So….I’m thinking you’re about 12

  • http://www.facebook.com/kevgib Kevin Gibbons

    Same thing you did with Bush and Reagan………NOTHING!

  • http://www.facebook.com/kevgib Kevin Gibbons

    Wow….you really jumped the shark…….take your freaking meds you loon.

  • http://www.facebook.com/kevgib Kevin Gibbons

    THE BATSHIT CRAZY SQUAD HAS ARRIVED AND THE BIRTHERS ARE HERE FOR BACKUP….ENJOY!

  • Anonymous

    A lie is a false statement, and “Pablo” makes no statement – although to the thrust of your comment could be a misnomer or alias.

    I’ll refrain from insulting your intelligence and leave that modus operandi to yourself and your cohorts – as it’s usually included in most comments from those leftists who seek self-affirmation.

  • Anonymous

    You are a prime example of a Yellow Dog Democrat. You’ll vote for whomever you’re told to vote for. Really, really sad.

  • Anonymous

    Ignorance is blissful, ain’t it.

  • NDanielson

    What? Another liberal reminding the world of the lies of Fox News? LOL. Wow. Who even watches the news anymore, Wes??? Al Sharpton is a returning mouthpiece to an alleged “news” outlet for Pete’s sake!

  • Anonymous

    Burp. Bring it up again and we’ll vote on it.

  • Pablo

    Oh, we don’t need you yet. Must have been a false alarm.

  • http://www.facebook.com/kevgib Kevin Gibbons

    Ain’t is not a word…you blissfully ignorant toad!

  • Anonymous

    Yep, Tommy breathlessly rushes out to share Obama’s truth like the good little knee soldier he is.

  • Anonymous

    TRUTH SCARES FROTH.  WHERE CHUNK?

  • Anonymous

    Oh I get it…you’re a comedian !!
    KG’s TV Is Stuck On MSNBC And He Can’t Find The Remote !!

  • Anonymous

    You wish!

  • Anonymous

     Whip out your dictionary. It is a word. It means: 1) are not; 2) is not; 3) am not.

    It is not (ain’t) used much in writing but is used in speech.

    Merriam-Webster Dictionary, one of many, has this WORD in it.

    “You’re ignorance makes me ill and angry” – Outer Limits, 6th finger episode.

  • Anonymous

    Obama and truth is an oxymoron.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1730504135 Bruce Van Brunt

    You ignore everyone and let OBAMA do his own dirty work. He is quite capable of being a spy on TRUE Americans already.  Time he leaves our Country to return to Kenya.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Gary-Freeman/100002021722361 Gary Freeman

    Kevin seriously , did you graduate from kindergarten are were you socially promoted, like your little Ceasar want to be boy child President.

  • Anonymous

     Yeah, Obama is winning, while America is losing.

  • Anonymous

    The Son of a Whore needs to use the Truth Machine on himself and his demon administration.  They are the LIARS and will be till we kick their worthless butts our of the WH!

  • Anonymous

    Very clever, my compliments, again!

  • Anonymous

    I agree, though my first reaction was etymological…the word “oxymoron.”  Ouch!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Roger-Thibault/100000569302759 Roger Thibault

    To all the Liberal Kool-Aid drinkers in America; Step out of the Church of Obama for a moment and look beyond the baby food they have been feeding you for years. America is going down the drain due to this President’s Marxist policies. Unemployment is around 15% but reported as 8% because many Americans have quit looking for work; our borders are wide open to invasion, (called ‘illegal immigration’); the White House tells the Media what to report, (everyone is fine and happy).The GOP is fighting Obama’s power grab and he calls them ‘obstructionist’. Obama steals BILLIONS from Taxpayers to give to his cronies in ‘Green’ companies who then donate millions back to him before declaring bankruptcy and taking millions in bonuses.But: the Church of Obama gives you talking points like ‘GOP are Liars, Racists, Homophobes,’ etc for you to repeat so, you’re fine with all that. I hope all that Hate you get from your Church warms your heart when America is a third-world country soon. 

  • http://twitter.com/MrLawlesss Mr Lawless

    All you need to know about Truth Team http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx0llOzd1O8

  • http://twitter.com/MrLawlesss Mr Lawless

    All you need to know about Truth Team http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx0llOzd1O8

  • Anonymous

    This is perfect! You have to post the tips! Now everytime a liberal spouts his usual cliched BS, I can simply refer them to the appropriate number on the tipsheet, and call them what they are: brownshirts.

  • Anonymous

    It’s easier for us… we on the Right don’t have to bother reporting Democrats who act stupidly; it’s the very definition of liberal progressive, and everyone knows it already.

  • Anonymous

    Point #1 – I slept with your momma last night; I am the 99%

    Point #2 – 3 millions jobs is a total fabrication; there has been NO job growth – why else is the U6 number up to 17%? You need to learn the difference between the U1, U3, and U6 statistics. The country needs at least 180k in new jobs each quarter just to break even. And jobs “created or saved” is a completely ficticious number which would’ve had Bush laughed out of the room if he ever tried to pass it off.

    Point #3 – Bush went to his ranch, where he entertained visiting dignitaries at his fully-equipped, secure “western White House”. They were working vacations, and didn’t cost US anything. Obama has spent tens of millions jetting around with celebrities, large entourages, dining on champagne and caviar, and booking entire luxury hotels for his use – at our expense.

    Point #4 – I don’t hate the playa, I hate the Progressive; if he happens to be a playa, so be it.

  • Anonymous

    Yes, the GOP are “the biggest liars”. Sure. So sayeth the latest member of the Truth Team. Just because you get your koolaid from an authorized dealer now, doesn’t mean it isn’t still koolaid. You can keep saying it, it doesn’t mean its true.

  • Anonymous

    Artistic license. He said it –  you understood it. Communication has happened. That’s all that’s required.

    …and if you’re going to start correcting spelling and grammar in political forums – well, you’re in for a long long battle.

  • http://profiles.google.com/dftpub dft pub

    If be “Worked”, you mean he screwed future American taxpayers to buy off the Unions and get a little temporary political bump, then yeah, it worked.

  • http://www.jewpoint.blogspot.com JPeditor

    Which lies are you referring to? Can we start with the 41 Obama White House aides who owe the IRS $831,000 in back taxes?

  • http://www.jewpoint.blogspot.com JPeditor

    “racist”…

    YOU NEVER FOUND ANYONE USING THE N WORD OR SPITTING in the Tea Party DC rally despite the offer of a $100k reward.

    “sexist”  - What were there, a DOZEN RAPES IN OWS (none at Tea Party rallies).

    ” and economically imbecilic tea party movement.”

    Because TRIPLING THE DEBT since Ø became Present (sic) must be the Tea Party’d fault. 

    /sarcasm off for you short bus democrats (redundancy intentional).

  • Anonymous

    As long as Obama’s little stormtroopers don’t stop and realize that HE is supposed to be working for THEM, all is well.

  • Anonymous

    Do we get a nifty arm band and boots!!!

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