A father and son team of "pure" conservatives have built a Facebook presence they claim has the capacity to mobilize 7 million people to political action, the
National Journal reported.
Working with $2.4 million from a single anonymous donor to their nonprofit 501(c)4 organization, and the political and technical expertise provided by a top public relations firm, Brent Bozell, 59, and his son David Bozell, 36, can field what the Journal calls a "digital army."
Their forces have been rallied to overwhelm the White House switchboard and the telephone lines of Republican politicians they deem insufficiently hard line on immigration or Obamacare or other hot-button issues.
Their
ForAmerica Facebook page, launched in September 2010, boasts over 7 million likes — a figure achieved through paid, targeted advertising. ForAmerica is one of the "largest and most active presences" in the political sphere on Facebook, the Journal reported.
For their efforts, the elder Bozell earned $960,000 in 2012 and 2013, while his son was compensated $114,000 for his involvement, the Journal reported.
A video of Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz lambasting President Barack Obama's immigration policies on the Senate floor posted by ForAmerica garnered 1.3 million views.
"This is not a fake, make-believe army. This is 7 million people who are active in the political conversation, who are conservatives," the elder Bozell told the Journal. "And without them, you ain't gonna win the primary."
Brent Bozell, a nephew of the late William F. Buckley, makes clear he has little patience for those who don't meet his yardstick for conservatism.
"If I see one more moderate, I'm going to slam my head against the wall. Jeb Bush cannot win. Chris Christie cannot win. Mitt Romney cannot win," he said. "How many times must the Republicans prove that to themselves?"
ForAmerica is home to "true believers" and is distinguished by its unapologetic ultra-conservatism and opposition to "Republican moderation," according to the Journal.
The site tosses "red meat" to engage grass-roots conservatives: "Like if you agree Hillary Clinton should NEVER be president," for instance, achieved 347,000 "likes."
"What we were trying to do was tie pop culture to the conservative message day in and day out. Make it funny, witty," David Bozell said. "This ain't the Federalist Papers we were trying to sell online."
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