Posted by Mike Dorning at 6:30 am CST.
Backers of Sen. Barack Obama have rapidly built up large networks of supporters using the popular social web site Facebook. The political value of the social networking groups is unclear but they provide a potential base of supporters to turn to for volunteer activities or, possibly, small contributions.
One group on www.Facebook.com, popular among college and high school students and recent alumni, already has attracted more than 175,000 members, with a goal of building a list of at least 1 million by the time Obama is scheduled to make his official announcement on Feb. 10.
The group, "Barack Obama (One Million Strong for Barack)", writes on its information page that it was created on Jan. 16 by Farouk Olu Aregbe, a recent University of North Dakota alumnus now living in Washington, DC. Aregbe could not immediately be reached.
The organization Students for Barack Obama also began as a Faecebook group, "Barack Obama for President in 2008," with more than 53,000 members now.
Famid Sinha, communications director for the student organization and a senior at the University of Pennsylvania, said the group kicked off their facebook group last July, before Obama began publicly exploring a presidential campaign. Since then, the organization has started its own web site, www.studentsforbarackobama.com, and is mostly organizing through that site, Sinha said.
Obama is scheduled to appear on Friday at a rally at George Mason University organized by Students for Barack Obama.
Dan Pfeiffer, a spokesman for the Obama presidential exploratory committee, said the campaign was note behind the formation of the groups.
But, Pfeiffer said, "We have been in contact with them since the groups formed and if Senator Obama runs for President, he will certainly engage this community in his discussion about how to move the country forward."
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Comments
Our morning Barack Obama quotient, this time publicizing how students "Farouk Olu Aregbe" and "Famid Sinha" are organizing for him. Shows how far the Swamp will dig into the obscure in order to publicize their man.
Menwhile, the London Daily Mail ran an article about how Obama's family members say his autobiography is a pack of lies. Isn't it funny how the Swamp ignores this story?
Posted by: Bruce | January 31, 2007 8:02 AM
Obama is building slowly, just like a Kansas tornado. By the end of this year, he's going to be roaring. Just in time to kick some arse in the early primaries.
Your next President, Barack Obama.
Posted by: Raving Loon | January 31, 2007 9:01 AM
Bruce and Paulo,
When you type someones actual name or middle name there is no need for putting it into quotation marks...unless you are sending smoke signals to your bigoted buddies
Posted by: jethro | January 31, 2007 9:53 AM
jethro -
Please explain how Bruce's comment would lead you to think he's a bigot. Swamp - - are you ever going to enforce your "unfair attacks" rule, or are there just so many that it's too much trouble to deal with them all?
Posted by: no name | January 31, 2007 11:21 AM
I'm just amazed that what goes on in Facebook is swampworthy news, yet the opinion of an NYU educator/historian and former Obama classmate - published on this paper's very own op-ed page - about Obama's lack of experience isn't.
Posted by: Jeff | January 31, 2007 11:39 AM
ALL HAIL OF NEXT PRESIDENT, BARACK OBAMA!
Posted by: John E. | January 31, 2007 12:02 PM
Hey Loon,
By God I hope you are right. I still believe that Hillary would be as bad, dare I say, even worse than Bush. I do not see any of her agenda being based on the needs of the people. The only needs she is cared about are her own.
As I have said before, I come from a couple of generations of Rep's. However, I have never follow the party blindly down the Yellow Brick Road. If I feel a Dem, Ind. whoever is the best choice, than that is the lever I pull.
While I wish he had some more "seasoning" to better resist the corruption dragon that shadows Washington, of all the names that have oozed out, he is still the best option.
Anybody or thing before Hillary!!
Posted by: Rob S | January 31, 2007 12:39 PM
Rob, the Loon's always right. Glad your feeling better.
Posted by: Raving Loon | January 31, 2007 12:45 PM
I was wondering why my suggestion to Bruce didn't make it through the censors. I didn't use harsh language and didn't personally attack him.
All I suggested was that instead of whining about the coverage Obama is getting at The Swamp -- and in particular, his criticism of today's post about Facebook -- maybe he should try to find his own evidence that other candidates are motivating such a historically apathetic segment of the voter population and present it to us as argument for his views.
I thought we here at The Swamp were trying to increase the level of thought that goes into our ideas and arguments?
Posted by: Jeff C. | January 31, 2007 1:02 PM
"no name", you have to understand the mindset of people such as Jethro. It is their stock in trade, their automatic reaction, to yell "racist" (or "bigot" or "Nazi") at anyone who dares disagree with them, like Pavlov's dogs, who were trained to salivate every time a bell was rung.
On a more substantive note, I visited the website linked above. The organizers of this group appear to be veteran political apparachniks from the Kerry and other Democrat campaigns. They claim 50,000 supporters, but of course offer no proof of that many members. They seem to be suspiciously well-coordinated with the Obama campaign. In sum they appear to be an "astroturf" group, a supposed grass-roots organization that is in fact almost entirely artificial.
Posted by: bruce | January 31, 2007 1:46 PM
Yeah Brucie,just like the THOUSANDS of Americans who showed up at the Anti-Iraq War protest over the weekend.
You and the mouthbreathing, knuckle dragging goons at the Whitehouse only saw Jane Fonda there.
Posted by: John E. | January 31, 2007 2:24 PM
Maybe bruce and Paulo can explain why they put those names in quotations. I've never seen him write "George W. Bush" or "John McCain". It appears he and Paulo have an agenda when they do it. They attempt to draw attention to names like Hussein, Farouk Olu Aregbe and Famid Sinha. I don't think they do it because they are tolerant people. Maybe they have a better explanation that sensibly explains why you would put someone's real name in quotation marks.
Posted by: jethro | January 31, 2007 2:27 PM