Rush Limbaugh this week revealed the hidden story behind the two-year-old #StopRush Twitter campaign, exposing the “grassroots” effort as a Media Matters-founded automated attack kept alive by about 10 people.
The Stop Rush group claims to be made up of ordinary consumers unhappy with Rush Limbaugh’s comments. The group claims to be “grassroots,” just concerned consumers who won’t shop at businesses that advertise with Rush Limbaugh. In truth, however, there are no potential customers here, just a small number of hardcore political activists founded by Angelo Carusone, EVP of Media Matters for America.
It’s remarkably tiny. Only 10 Twitter users account for almost 70% of all StopRush tweets to advertisers, amplified by illicit software. In addition, almost every communication from a StopRush activist originates from outside the State of the advertiser. Thus, these activists are not and never would have been customers… their only role is to harass small businesses in an attempt to interfere with their operations, as long as they are advertising with Rush.
Rush Limbaugh Show spokesperson Brian Glicklich tweeted screenshots of the online operation.
https://twitter.com/brianglicklich/status/515169803695173632
https://twitter.com/brianglicklich/status/515171384868093952
https://twitter.com/brianglicklich/status/515171771079589888
https://twitter.com/brianglicklich/status/515172176039669760
https://twitter.com/brianglicklich/status/515172569666682881
Investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson, who writes about astroturfing in her upcoming book “Stonewalled,” reports that the #StopRush “brigade” includes a woman who emails from her official Kent State University account.
Ever feel like a small group of folks are tweeting like heck to make it look like they are a large grassroots campaign?
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) September 25, 2014
Recommended
You may be correct–http://t.co/Ou0cmGTSF7
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) September 25, 2014
“…nearly 70 percent of the tweets targeting [Rush] Limbaugh’s advertisers come from the same ten Twitter users.”
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) September 25, 2014
“The activists even use technology to ‘machine-tweet’ anti-Rush comments in robotic fashion to ensure maximum Twitter exposure for…
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) September 25, 2014
…their insular group's efforts."
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) September 25, 2014
“A former Kent State univ professor even targeted a small businessman advertising on Limbaugh’s show using her official univ email account.”
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) September 25, 2014
Once you open your eyes, it's not difficult to recognize astroturf.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) September 25, 2014
https://twitter.com/brianglicklich/status/515172850823462913
https://twitter.com/brianglicklich/status/515173586877698050
https://twitter.com/brianglicklich/status/515210770226085888
Join the conversation as a VIP Member