When you see a tree with a bunch of apples on it, the logical conclusion is that you are looking at an apple tree, right?
But what if you are looking at a political movement that claims to represent “the people,” yet constantly gets caught manufacturing the appearance of popular support?
That’s called an Astro-Turf tree and it’s found mainly - though not entirely - on the Left, from the grassroots all the way to the nation’s capital. If you doubt me here, consider these recent stories:
· A headline in the feisty New Hampshire Journal proclaims: “Dems caught staffing group posing as GOP-friendly gay marriage organization.”
Standing Up for Families, an activist group touted as Republican by the pro-gay marriage forces in the Granite State, is being staffed by folks from local and state Democratic committees.
That's only the half of it when you take into account the foot soldiers who pepper blog comments, Facebook etc., with coordinated lies, spin and off topic comments meant to focus on their central memes and in LTTE in national as well as small town newspapers, Twitter and electronic forums.
Potemkin? Maybe ongoing Levittowns of faux fronts like so many sets in a movie and just as real populated with Penn, Clooney and Angelica Huston.
