

Reddit's TestPAC is campaigning to defeat Lamar Smith, SOPA's daddy - DiabloD3
http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/t8de3/testpac_has_boots_on_the_ground_in_lamar_smiths/

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jasonkolb
It would be interesting if the market ends uP developing into a series of PACs
around targeted issues. I would definitely donate to a PAC whose sole reason
for existence is to punish lawmakers who try pass these anti-Internet laws
like SOPA. I would also donate to an anti-corruption PAC.

I actually like the idea of being able to donate to targeted causes a la
carte.

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alexophile
This sounds like a good idea until you think about where that money goes. The
reason PACs need money is for media buys. I would be much more comfortable
with a 10k ad buy to oppose Lamar Smith if the mechanism for turning that
money into influence wasn't owned by a handful of companies, all of which give
much greater sums to represent the opposing side.

In the end, the problem isn't the PACs as much as it is the fact that the
process takes place on private property. It's like two armies showing up for a
battle and each having to pay a fee at the door to somebody who was then
allowed to spend that take on weapons for the side of their choosing.

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tomjen3
Really. Why not use some of that money to buy target ads on facebook? Google
ads for whatever your opponent say is important?

Somebody googles 'health care reform romney' -- wouldn't it be a much better
use of money to put up an attack ad on Romneys position here than to buy a
millionth of a tv add? You can directly target the voters who are worth
fighting about (those who haven't decided or who are still on the fence,
rather than the rednecks who would never vote for a black guy) and you can
measure your performance in those ads.

Remember you don't need to convince everybody, you just need one more vote
than the other guy -- and so long as you do that, it doesn't matter if you got
that vote by a completely dedicated fan or somebody who was offered a lollipop
to vote.

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hnhg
I don't believe most voters use a rational process to pick who they vote for.
It seems to me that selling a politician is no different to selling washing
powder and that's probably best done through TV. Most voters simply feel
compelled to vote and go for the overall feel or 'brand' of the politician.

That's what I feel after observing UK politics recently, especially after the
referendum for changing our voting system.

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iamdave
_Most voters simply feel compelled to vote and go for the overall feel or
'brand' of the politician._

I agree. Something the Obama campaign understood and mastered. I don't want to
make this an overly political discussion, he's made some moves and gestures I
disagreed with, has some policies I didn't like but he knew how to run an
election and change the conversation. Branding is what did it for him.

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theneb
At first glance the intention of TestPAC isn't too clear, seems a bit grey in
the area of what the campaign is all about.

It's great that an Internet community has come together to rally funds to help
fight such an opponent such as Lamar, however the message with the billboard
(<https://imgur.com/a/egngk>) and the supporting website isn't too clear. The
average Joe if they understand the billboard and visit the website won't make
the connections an Internet savvy user might.

I've been following the SOPA/PIPA/CISPA developments closely, but I had no
idea about TestPAC and when visiting the website
<http://www.testpacpleaseignore.org/unseatlamar/> it doesn't link me with the
candidate name on the billboard (who if I was a citizen in that state I'd need
to vote for).

Unless the intention is just to make people vote for anyone but Lamar?

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tocomment
I think it would be a simpler message if they supported one candidate. But
we're all starting from nothing in politics so we've got a lot to learn.

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stephengillie
One of the first industries currently being disrupted by the Internet was
societal governance. We see it happening more slowly than any other industry
because the "Governmental clock" ticks much more slowly than any other
industry.

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kiba
As much I agree with the reddit mob sometime, I do not want the country to be
ruled by a reddit mob, never mind any other mob.

~~~
s_henry_paulson
No doubt, but doing nothing while mobs are already ruling the country is not
much of an option either.

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Karunamon
TestPAC? Where does the reddit "test" meme come from anyways? There's also a
fairly sizable EVE corporation they run called Dreddit, which is part of an
alliance called "Test alliance please ignore". Seems a bit too close for
coincidence.

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Xuzz
It's the title of the most-upvoted Reddit thread:
[http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/92dd8/test_post_please...](http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/92dd8/test_post_please_ignore/)

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anamax
The only chance for beating Lamar Smith ended on March 2, the primary for that
district. Anyone who doesn't know that doesn't have a chance of changing
things.

SOPA had plenty of parents. I wonder why Smith was chosen?

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tptacek
The primary for TX-21 is on May 29th.

I agree with you though that this isn't a very thoughtfully chosen race to get
involved in.

The largest city in Smith's district is almost 50% over the age of 40, more
than half of those over retirement age. As you noted, the district has voted
Republican since pretty much the dawn of the modern Republican party. Smith's
main primary challenger is a controversial libertarian who wants to legalize
drugs _and_ is a beta noir of the Southern Poverty Law Center (there's a
trick). And he's barely campaigning.

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anamax
> the district has voted Republican since pretty much the dawn of the modern
> Republican party.

What definition of "modern Republican Party" are we using?

According to
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texass_21st_congressional_distr...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texass_21st_congressional_district)
, that district, which was created in 1935, didn't elect a Republican until
1979.

Much of the south is that way - it didn't elect republicans until the mid-70s.

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stcredzero
Someone should start a 90's era programmer's PAC called "DiskPAC."

