Spoof Sites

National Journal (subscription required) has an interesting piece on the increasing use of 'spoof sites' in congressional races:

www.DoesThisSpoofSiteReallyWork.com
Politicos Get Creative And Aggressive In Posting Opposition Research On The Web

By Erin McPike and Patrick Ottenhoff, NationalJournal.com
© National Journal Group Inc.
Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2006

In early September, the Republican National Committee launched AmericaWeakly.com to take a humorous jab at what Congress would look like if the Democrats gained control. Mocking the minority party, the site features funny snapshots of notorious liberal legislators and satirical accounts of what their agenda might resemble. It's like the Onion -- but an Onion in which every joke is on the Democrats.

And Democrats aren't the only party being ribbed online. AmericaWeakly was a kind of counterpoint to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's FudgeReport.net, a site modeled after the Drudge Report that skewers Republicans.

Cheap to run and easy to put together, Web pages like these "spoof sites" are popping up in a number of competitive races this cycle. They first surfaced in Senate campaigns, but are trickling down to House races, too...

But Washington-based campaign committees aren't the only groups producing spoof sites. Internet-savvy campaigns themselves are also in on the act.

Virginia Davis, campaign spokeswoman for Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., said the spoof site targeting Democratic opponent Bob Casey, WheresCasey.com, has "become part of our messaging strategy." Indeed, Santorum continues to ream Casey for ducking debates, along with his duties as state treasurer, during his campaign...

The sites listed by NJ:

America Weakly
The Fudge Report
The Pryce is Not Right
Where's Casey?
George's Journeys
The Real Steele
Fancy Ford
Clueless Claire
Far Out Brown
Pedersons Liberal Express
Very Fancy Frist
Double Talk Express
Too Junior for Jersey
George Allen for Prez

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