Anonymous Bloggers for Nelson

Mr. Nelson

(Shawn Nelson before the dye job)

Shawn (“BS” or “Dye Job”) Nelson has secured the prestigious endorsement of an anonymous blogger from the Fullerton’s Lowest Common Denominator” blog.  In the classic, “psst, hey buddy….this is the guy you should vote for style,” the blogger “Grover Cleveland” has come out strong for Mr. Half Nelson.

Grover writes:

“Nelson’s record on the Fullerton City Council, while not perfect, has demonstrated his recognition that elected office holders are there to represent the constituents, not the bureaucracy, and that governments must be held accountable for what they do and how they do it.

The county government is a contraption glued together by patronage and by its own dead weight. It’s a 19th century edifice in a 21st century reality. Nelson realizes this and he realizes the need for not only an overhaul but for a complete re-evaluation of the structure.

On June 8th, you have a chance to actually affect real change at the county; make the most of it because you won’t get too many chances.”

I’d argue Pam Keller and Sharon Quirk also represent constituents very well, but these guys love to belittle elected officials they don’t agree even though there are other voters in Fullerton who love Keller and Quirk and detest Nelson, but I digress.

As I said at the NUFF forum, anonymous bloggers who don’t place their name to their words run the risk that the words they write lack the impact the anonymous blogger intended.  Don’t you just love when Art Pedroza comments on the OJ blog about “Zorro” in the third person — the very thing he’s criticized Matt Cunningham for doing on the old OC Blog as “Jubal,” when it’s clear Art isn’t fooling anyone and a former blogger of his has outed his identity as “Zorro” (“Bizarro is a better noom de plume Arturo). 

And in the case of Grover, I’m sure only a very few people know who is really is and Grover’s true influence is likely extended to those who know his identity.  Grover could write that Shawn Nelson deserves to be elected because he can stand on his head and spit jelly beans out of his ass and it would have the same impact as Grover’s stated case for how Shawn Nelson is going to change things up as Fourth District supe.  What Grover fails to mention is the current Board of Supervisors already has four conservative Republicans; adding Nelson to the mix doesn’t represent any change other than a new Norby with more hair (dyed nicely I might add).

The Federal Trade Commission has issued guidelines about endorsements as it pertains to products, and make no mistake, Mr. Nelson is a product the FFFF is marketing to voters in the Fourth District.  I lifted this passage from the Public Relations Society of America web page, and it fits: “The Commission does address the issue of endorsers, such as bloggers, who should not conceal their relationship with advertisers or misrepresent their opinions or identities, such as by creating artificial entities to endorse products.”

Which begs the question, what is Grover’s relationship with Nelson? Is it Nelson?  Who knows?  Does anyone care?

I’ve always been amused by the blogger’s handle of Grover Cleveland.  The real Grover Cleveland spent his teen years in my home county in Upstate New York and locals there still tell stories passed down from generations about the former president skinny dipping in ponds and creeks around Oneida County (Clinton and Holland Patent) and Onondaga County (Fayetteville).  He was quite the character as is Fullerton’s own Grover.  But far more impactful and far more influential, and certain not afraid to show anyone who he was in or out or water.

3 Comments

  1. Grover Cleveland must be former OC Register editorial writer John Seiler. Everything about Grover’s style, prejudices, etc. fits.

    Seiler has been a failed freelance writer since taking the OCR buyout. Ten-to-1 he takes a taxpayer-funded job on Shawn Nelson’s staff if Nelson wins.

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