GOP in a panic Facebook could cripple Trump's 2020 re-election bid: report

[UCmeNdc]

According to a report at Axios, Republican insiders are fearful that Facebook could reverse course and ban political ads before the 2020 elections which would strike a crippling blow to Donald Trump’s re-election campaign.

Following in the footsteps of Twitter booting the ads off of its platform, White House insiders are afraid Facebook will follow suit after taking a beating over the past few weeks by saying they would not censor or refuse misleading ads.


According to the report, the Trump campaign has been focusing resources on Facebook where they hope to reach the type of people who get their information from the social media platform despite a lack of rigorous fact-checking.

Axios notes, the president’s “campaign has mastered the art of using Facebook’s precision-targeting of people to raise money, stir opposition to impeachment, move voters and even sell Trump shirts and hats.”

Trump 2020, “often uses highly emotional appeals to get clicks and engagement, which provides valuable data on would-be voters and small-dollar donors,” the report states.



https://www.rawstory.com/2019/11/gop-in-a-panic-facebook-could-cripple-trumps-2020-re-election-bid-report/

[UCmeNdc]

1. Some good lawyers should prepare a costly lawsuit against FB.

Make FB pay for publishing lies.

[brooklynite]

3. Not a chance...

...there's no law requiring truthful publishing, and you wouldn't want one.

[UCmeNdc]

5. Well individuals and groups could sue FB for defamation of character

They might not win but they can tie up the false advertisement in court battles.

[Ruby the Liberal]

14. That could backfire

Temporarily it would work, but once the courts say anything goes, it will be an open license to sling all kinds of garbage.

[brooklynite]

15. "Defamation--Public Official vs. Private Person"

Defamation—Public Official vs. Private Person
The distinction between the rights of a private person and the privacy rights of a public person is significant when Is there a difference between a public official and private defamation?considering a defamation claim. People who remove themselves from the private arena by becoming a public official or public figure do not give up all rights to privacy. However, there are specific restrictions applied to defamation claims with regard to someone who holds public office or chooses to be in the public eye.

https://www.minclaw.com/legal-resource-center/what-is-defamation/defamation-public-official-vs-private-person/

I don't know of any public figure who has attempted to sue for defamation.

[Prosper]

26. Why?

“..there's no law requiring truthful publishing, and you wouldn't want one.”

Why not?

[brooklynite]

30. Who gets to decide what constitutes "truth" for legal purposes?

[Prosper]

32. I would say the entire judicial system is based on compromise

and subjectivity. There are people serving life sentences in one state for crimes that garner slaps on the wrists in other states.

Waiting to Die in Prison—for Selling a Couple of Bags of Pot
some people in michigan serving life for marijuana crimes from www.motherjones.com
Around 40,000 people are currently serving time for offenses involving a drug that has been ... How many prisoners are serving life sentences for pot? At least 69 ...

Truth-In-Advertising. ... The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates advertising and marketing in the United States and has the authority to file lawsuits and impose penalties against companies that do not comply with its rules. Generally, the FTC requires that: Advertisements are truthful and not deceptive.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. It would be a more level playing field. . . . nt

[UCmeNdc]

4. This is what is needed

Link to tweet

[Mike Nelson]

6. The pro-Trump posts...

... on Facebook are not converting anyone. I hit the "laugh" symbol and love the comments. Where I think the problems are going to be are how they might suppress the vote... these would not be Trump ads, and some could "masquerade" as anti-Trump ads. BTW, all Trump ads are - and all will be - lies.

[UCmeNdc]

7. No I must disagree, Trump reelection people are not fools,

They know exactly what they are doing with their FB advertisement. Propaganda works. The Trump reelection campaign is putting too much money into FB advertisement. They understand the results they will achieve by lying and creating false narratives on FB that will be established as fact by their target voters. Do not underestimate the power of FB to control people and their view of the world and vote according to that perceived view.

[PAMod]

17. Exactly, and I'd add...

Many of these people are looking for any argument or point that would justify their continued support. Watch how they quickly glom onto each new talking point they are hand-fed, no matter how absurd.

It sounds silly to say, but it’s a big part of their echo-chamber, and their ability to defend and grow it.

[defacto7]

19. You are smart enough to know the dif.

But I wouldn't overestimate the vulnerable and gullible. The majoity of these aren't the kind of people who would comment about ads. They more likely just talk between themselves. It's those silent ones that we could influence. The headstrong will never change.

[modrepub]

8. We can already see what they plan on saying now

It won't really matter who the Democratic candidate is there will be some rodent fornication talking point they will come up with. Whoever the candidate running against Trump is they are going to have to be quick, witty and able to dish it out because this is going to be a slug fest like we've never seen. It has to be, this is probably one of the most important Presidential elections in my life time.

[UCmeNdc]

10. Agree! The Democratic Candidate cannot allow a single lie to go unchallenged!

They have to expose any deception of their character as a lie. Trump and his administration will character assassinate any Democratic challenger from day one. Trump is already doing it. This whole Ukraine affair was a setup to destroy Biden. Trump was asking China to provide some sort of fake paperwork on Warren. Trump does not care if it is true he only needs to paint the perception that his lies are true.

[greymattermom]

9. Call it Fakebook

Rinse, repeat.

[mysteryowl]

11. "...Facebook has recruited former Republican operatives in senior positions..."

How key Republicans inside Facebook are shifting its politics to the right.

...Facebook has recruited former Republican operatives in senior positions...

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/nov/03/facebook-politics-republicans-right

[ancianita]

31. +1 Operatives: Joel Kaplan, Kevin Martin and Katie Harbath

Thank you. Great post.

[Anon-C]

36. Kick and Rec, the Axios and Guardian articles should be read by all who can.

Thank goodness Libra won't be an issue and Parscale and foreigners can't simply buy votes on FB. Will have to stick to Bitcoin.

[Timmygoat]

12. I am very much behind with the news

In fact I am still struggling with the genius of Trump (playing golf while sitting in the situation room) with his team watching the killing of Bagdahdi , and how he heard the crying and whimpering, this man has got to be a genius!!!!

[paleotn]

13. Reaching out to the rubes again, eh?

[Dennis Donovan]

16. Axios link: Zuckerberg's power to hurt Trump

https://www.axios.com/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-donald-trump-advertising-9d8345fe-5c73-4e1b-a5a7-e9f6b9e9fa85.html

Mike Allen, Sara Fischer
22 hours ago

Top Republicans are privately worried about a new threat to President Trump’s campaign: the possibility of Facebook pulling a Twitter and banning political ads.

Why it matters: Facebook says it won't, but future regulatory pressure could change that. If Facebook were to ban — or even limit — ads, it could upend Trump’s fundraising and re-election plan, GOP officials tell Axios.

Trump relies heavily — much more so than Democrats — on targeted Facebook ads to shape views and raise money.

Red flag: Kara Swisher, of Recode, the super plugged-in tech writer, predicted on CNBC's "Squawk Box" that Mark Zuckerberg will ultimately buckle on allowing demonstrably false political adds on Facebook: "He's going to change his mind — 100% ... [H]e's done it before."

Twitter this week announced a ban on political and advocacy ads. ("Platforms give pols a free pass to lie," by Scott Rosenberg)

Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale ridiculed the decision ("yet another attempt by the left to silence Trump and conservatives" ), signaling the wicked backlash that would hit Zuckerberg.

Why it would hurt Trump: His campaign has mastered the art of using Facebook’s precision-targeting of people to raise money, stir opposition to impeachment, move voters and even sell Trump shirts and hats.

The Trump campaign often uses highly emotional appeals to get clicks and engagement, which provides valuable data on would-be voters and small-dollar donors.

Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh told Axios: "We’ve always known that President Trump was too successful online and that Democrats would one day seek to wipe him off the Internet."

"That’s why we’ve invested so heavily in building up our data to allow us to communicate with millions of voters away from any third-party platforms like Facebook."

"Democrats demanding internet platforms shut down political advertising will guarantee Trump’s victory in 2020. They’re idiots."

By the numbers: The Trump campaign has spent $15.7 million dollars on Facebook ads this year, according to data from progressive advertising firm Bully Pulpit Interactive.

The next closest Democratic spender is billionaire Tom Steyer, who has so far spent less than half of that.

Those numbers don't include millions of dollars of additional Facebook ad spending from outside groups. The conservative non-profit Judicial Watch, for example, has spent $2.5 million on issue ads since the beginning of the year.

</snip>

[certainot]

18. what would really scare them is if dems would stop letting 87 unis support trump

Last edited Sun Nov 3, 2019, 09:52 AM - Edit history (1)

these 87 universities broadcast sports on 260 limbaugh/kkk/trump/putin radio stations and need to stop

by state and at $1000/hr x 15 hrs/da selling trump, putin, global warming, and everything republican - all free

ALABAMA 8 $600,000 Auburn 3, Alabama 2, Southern Alabama 2, Troy 1
ARIZONA 1 $75,000 Arizona St. 1
ARKANSAS 3 $225,000 Arkansas 3
CALIFORNIA 5 $375,000 San Jose State 2, USC 2, Fresno St. 1
COLORADO 4 $300,000 Air Force 2, Colorado 1, Colorado State 1
CONNECTICUT 1 $75,000 Connecticut 1
FLORIDA 20 $1,500,000 Florida 10, Florida St. 4 Miami 2, South Florida 2, Central Florida 2
GEORGIA 14 $1,050,000 Georgia 7, Georgia Tech 5, Georgia Southern 2
IDAHO 7 $525,000 Boise St. 4, Idaho 3
ILLINOIS 7 $525,000 Illinois 7
INDIANA 11 $825,000 Notre Dame 6, Purdue 4, Indiana 1
IOWA 5 $375,000 Iowa 4, Iowa St. 1
KANSAS 4 $300,000 Kansas St. 2, Kansas 1, Wichita St. 1
KENTUCKY 3 $225,000 Louisville 2, Kentucky 1
LOUSIANA 3 $225,000 LSU 2, La.-Monroe 1
MARYLAND 2 $150,000 Maryland 2
MASSACHUSETTS 1 $75,000 Boston College 1
MICHIGAN 19 $1,425,000 Michigan St. 11, Michigan 7, Western Michigan 1
MINNESOTA 4 $300,000 Minnesota 4
MISSISSIPPI 6 $450,000 Mississippi St. 3, Mississippi 2, Southern Miss 1
MISSOURI 6 $450,000 Missouri 6
NEBRASKA 6 $450,000 Nebraska 6
NEVADA 1 $75,000 Nevada 1
NEW JERSEY 2 $150,000 Rutgers 1, Seton Hall 1
NEW MEXICO 3 $225,000 New Mexico 2, New Mexico St. 1
NEW YORK 7 $525,000 Syracuse 6, Army 1
NORTH CAROLINA 16 $1,200,000 North Carolina 8, North Carolina State 3, Duke 3, East Carolina 2
OHIO 10 $750,000 Ohio St. 6, Toledo 1, Dayton 1, Bowling Green 1, Xavier 1
OKLAHOMA 5 $375,000 Oklahoma St. 3, Oklahoma 1, Oral Roberts 1
OREGON 12 $900,000 Oregon St. 7, Oregon 5
PENNSYLVANIA 14 $1,050,000 Penn St. 11, Pittsburgh 2, Temple 1
SOUTH CAROLINA 4 $300,000 South Carolina 2, Clemson 2
TENNESSEE 7 $525,000 Tennessee 4, Memphis 3
TEXAS 16 $1,200,000 Texas A&M 9, Texas Tech 4, Texas 1, Texas Christian 1, Baylor 1
UTAH 1 $75,000 Utah St. 1
VIRGINIA 6 $450,000 Virginia Tech 5, Virginia 1
WASHINGTON 6 $450,000 Washington 5, Washington St. 1
WEST VIRGINIA 2 $150,000 West Virginia 1, Marshall 1
WISCONSIN 3 $225,000 Wisconsin 3

[Johnny2X2X]

20. Let's start a petition

Seriously. I think Zuckerberg is evil, but he would gladly opt out of this political mess if he could. Let’s start a petition for Facebook to follow Twitter.

[bucolic_frolic]

21. Facebook's very existence rests on this decision

Facebook will not survive if it is credited with reelecting Trump. Facebook is already a polarizing subject. It will go the way of MySpace, and Yahoo, parts of which are shrunken or defunct.

[defacto7]

23. Too big to fail possibly.

If Trump wins they win due to the continuance of the GOP distruction of democracy. If they drop Trump and Trump loses Zuck's a hero. The only vague possibility that Facebook face-plants is if they support Trump ads and Trump loses, but then no one will care because the ad buy didn't work. To Zuck it's a big meh, just push for an ad war.

[bucolic_frolic]

25. Perhaps, but Facebook is basically Joe the Plumber for friends and family

Once the connections move offline and privacy becomes an issue, Facebook is a fade

[defacto7]

28. I hope so.

[Cosmocat]

33. It already has damaged the platform immeasurably

Right wing broke it a long time ago, and what made it so great (the sharing of routine day to day experiences of people) is darn near choked out ...

[bucolic_frolic]

34. I think so too

just like eBay where pursuit of profits for the corporation is squeezing out anything that doesn't them a premium. Small items, sellers are down the pecking order. All you see is promoted ads and links to elsewhere, and search is broken. Can't find a thing anymore.

[Cosmocat]

37. yep

nm

[defacto7]

22. Look at the cash cow that Facebook stands to lose.

It's not the GOP direct ad buy, it's the ad war Zuckerberg is probably salivating over. He wants the Dems to try to out buy the GOP for position. If he has no scruples he wouldn't want to get in the way of that. He would pretend to care to gain back lost users but in the end he figures users will saunter back eventually and he can clean up on political warfare. Cake/eat

[MartyTheGreek]

24. Republicans Must Keep Their Brainwashed Base!

If there is a Dark State, this is it! They really want to keep their soft brained flock in the herd. Here's a term that popped up back in 2016, called Psychographics. Companies like Cambridge Analytical harvested then sold thousands of specifically targeted ads to potential voters. CA was said to have thousands of data points on each Fake Book and other social media user based on likes, comments, etc. With all of these data points they know what toilet paper you use and they know who all your online friends are and what you said and things you searched for.

Dems should flood Fake Book with truthful ads highlighting Trumps lies over the past three years. There are plenty of visuals and factual things to highlight like the Blue Wave of 18, fake blue collar tax cut, House GOP bailing out, etc.

Wingnuts are calling for a civil war... Fake Book will be the battle space and will be heavily flooded during the next twelve months with lies and state sponsored propaganda. We're already in a technological and psychological civil war. We need to paint Trump as the loser that he is, and has abused at a minimum the dignity of the office as president and his powers. His repeated lying, obstruction and covering up what really transpired since this sham election. With out Fake Book, we would not have this fake dynasty in our White House.

Shine light on the real Dark State! Fake Book, and state sponsored propaganda!~

[beachbumbob]

27. the play is obvious by GOP/elite to keep Facebook operating as another propaganda outlet

just as they did in 2016 and 2018

[FoxNewsSucks]

29. They finally admit they can't win

if the can't LIE and cheat.

[kimbutgar]

35. How about having people take the boycott Facebook pledge until after the election

We could get it going on numerous progressive sites. Enough progressives take the pledge it could hurt Facebook. We also have pocketbooks and spending money to purchase items on Facebook.

We can harness that energy to stand up to Facebook and the repukes.

[Grasswire2]

38. Have you ever seen Trump's own FB page?

Everyone should take a quick look at it. Very instructive, if also sickening.

You will see why the campaign would hate to see it turned off.

[OnDoutside]

39. We need some Democrats to rant in public that Facebook is anti-American, and they'll come after them

to break Facebook up once Democrats are back in power.