Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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On his personal Facebook account, Democratic public relations professional Nate Dybvig has outed himself as Joe Forkeybolo, the conservative persona Dybvig used to promote his clients.

"Well, they've finally gone and done it," wrote Dybvig, who is currently an unpaid campaign spokesman for Brian Barnes Republican Rep. Erik Paulsen DFL opponent in Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District.

"MPR is about to do a story on how I am part of the long and storied political tradition of having an alter-ego on facebook. Joe Forkeybolo was created to entertain and was damn good at it. But if the MPR thinks it makes me unethical, then I guess rather than suffer their slings and arrows, I will just put Joe out to pasture. Farewell old friend."

It tells the strange story of Forkeybolo, who is Dybvig's conservative alter ego.

Forkeybolo is "tired of working half the year to pay for the lazy half of society to sit around and collect free handouts," according to the Facebook account, which was deactivated shortly after MPR contacted Dybvig about the fake identity.

Below is a screen shot of the account. The profile picture is a stock photo easily found on the web.

Dybvig used the Facebook account to criticize Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack and Tarryl Clark while he was working for Jeff Anderson, who was also seeking the DFL endorsement in the 8th Congressional District primary.

"Rep. Cravaack is being out-fundraised by Tarryble Clark. And he's weak on conservative issues. Do we need to start worrying about this race?" Dybvig wrote on the Forkeybolo Facebook page on May 15, 2012.

He also used the site to criticize gambling proposals meant to pay for the Vikings stadium. Dybvig has long worked for the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, which opposed the proposals.

On the fake Forkeybolo Faceboook page, Forkeybolo vented to his conservative audience that Republicans were wrong on the Vikings deal.

"While RINOS like [Senate Majority Leader David] Senjem and [Sen. Claire] Robling like gambling, the TRUE conservative wing of the party will not play along," he wrote on Jan. 9, 2012. "Add them to the bought and paid for democrats, and Racino has no chance this year."

Forkeybolo's name cropped up in the comments section of numerous stories regarding the gambling proposals as well.

Politics and Government News

Capitol View®

Catharine Richert

Author

On his personal Facebook account, Democratic public relations professional Nate Dybvig has outed himself as Joe Forkeybolo, the conservative persona Dybvig used to promote his clients. “Well, they’ve finally gone and done it,” wrote Dybvig, who is currently an unpaid campaign spokesman for Brian Barnes Republican Rep. Erik Paulsen DFL opponent in Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional…

Dybvig outs himself as Joe Forkeybolo

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