GOP PACs are inhabiting liberal roles on social media-duping lefties into sharing anti-Hillary memes

[kpete]

It takes a criminal mind

It seems Republican PACs are making a concerted effort to "inhabit the liberal role" on social media and dupe lefties into sharing anti-Hillary Clinton memes. Bill McKibben (350.org), the A.F.L.-C.I.O., and others have fallen prey to the tactic:

For months now, America Rising has sent out a steady stream of posts on social media attacking Mrs. Clinton, some of them specifically designed to be spotted, and shared, by liberals. The posts highlight critiques of her connections to Wall Street and the Clinton Foundation and feature images of Democrats like Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York, interspersed with cartoon characters and pictures of Kevin Spacey, who plays the villain in “House of Cards.” And as they are read and shared, an anti-Clinton narrative is reinforced.

America Rising is not the only conservative group attacking Mrs. Clinton from the left. Another is American Crossroads, the group started by Karl Rove, which has been sending out its own digital content, including one ad using a speech Ms. Warren gave at the New Populism Conference in Washington last May.

The Times continues, "Conservative strategists and operatives say they are simply filling a vacuum on the far left ..." Out of the goodness of their hearts.

Ken Goldstein, a professor specializing in political advertising at the University of San Francisco, explains that this effort shows Republican strategists are "thinking a couple steps ahead.” Steven Law, president of American Crossroads, says the goal is to erode support for the Democrats' presumptive 2016 presidential candidate among base voters:

“It can diminish enthusiasm for Hillary among the base over time,” he said. “And if you diminish enthusiasm, lukewarm support can translate into lackluster fund-raising and perhaps diminished turnout down the road.”

MORE:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/17/us/politics/the-right-aims-at-democrats-on-social-media-to-hit-clinton.html?_r=1
http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/it-takes-criminal-mind-by-bloggersrus.html

[struggle4progress]

1. Doh!

[okaawhatever]

66. I know, this has been going on at DU for a long time. Some DU members couldn't do a better job if

they were getting a paycheck from Karl Rove himself.

[Scuba]

2. Those of us on the left don't need right-wingers to point out that Hillary is one of them.

This article and post seem like lame attempts to stifle legitimate criticism of Hillary by suggesting that it's what the right wants.

Fact is, Hillary is out-of-step with those of us to the left of Ronald Reagan's economic policies and deserves to be criticized for her Iraq war vote, support for the XL Pipeline, support for more H1B Visas, support for Wall Street, etc, etc, etc.

[Fred Sanders]

7. Supporting Sanders can be done without attacking Clinton and her internationally respected charity.

Folks should give it a try.

Try supporting your candidate without the false and thin attempts at raising the persona and bona fides of one person at the expense of another...is that what Bernie would want folks supporting him in an election - only 18 short months to go - to do? Has he done it himself, one might ask?

[Scuba]

8. Clinton is the front-runner and has huge dollars behind her. Getting the truth about her out is ...

... important, nee, critical.

If she can't stand the heat, she should get out of the kitchen.

[Fred Sanders]

11. Why not let the RW media do that. Why give them a co-conspirator in the enemy camp?

Why support their divide and conquer strategy? Why support that?

Supporting Sanders can be done without attacking Clinton...or Obama for that matter.

Have Clinton/Obama supporters, all fine Democrats by the way, done anything remotely in kind in return?

[Scuba]

18. She is the enemy camp. She's a conservative dressed as a Democrat. She needs to be defeated ...

... in the primary. Now is the time to educate people about her long-held policy positions.

[Fred Sanders]

20. I am done conversing with anyone who thinks Bill and Hillary Clinton the "enemy camp". Tragic.

Folks need to see the work their charity has done over the last decade...remarkable acts, remarkable thinking.

If that is the enemy camp, where do I get my weapons?

There is an enemy camp pitching their tents proudly flying the Fascist Flag, but the camp you are gazing at ain't it.

[geek tragedy]

32. No, Scott Walker is the enemy camp. Jed Bush is the enemy camp.

People who can't tell the difference are too naive and misinformed to contribute anything meaningful to the debate.

[riversedge]

51. Agree.

[L0oniX]

54. ^^^this^^^

[daleanime]

77. Reminds me of a horror movie....

"the call is coming from inside the house."

[JoePhilly]

19. You won't convience people who would be happy to vote for Hillary to switch by ...

... attacking her, or her supporters.

You have to help prove Bernie would definitely win in the general.

Can't do that, you won't get people who would happily vote for her to switch.

[Fred Sanders]

29. On the contrary, Sanders/Warren folks, I love them all, attacking Clinton in a primary run up diminishes both in a general.

I recall the Obama/Clinton primary and run up debate to be a fraction of the viciousness of the present day.

And how much has Clinton or supporters attacked Sanders/Warren?

Zilch.

[JoePhilly]

43. Agree. Obama beat Hillary by ...

... making a strong convincing case he'd win the general too. People already believed Hillary would. Obama had to cross that threshold before regular democrats were going to be willing to vote for him in the primary.

Bernie has the same challenge. And some of his supporters simply don't get it. Some if them are so self righteous, and condemning of those who don't just abandon Hillary, that they'll hurt his chances. They come across as shrill more than anything else. People won't listen to their message if the tone is condescending from the start.

[Exilednight]

84. Q: which candidate in 2008 called Hillary, Republican Lite?

[Scuba]

48. Clinton isn't attacking Sanders, she's pretending to support his policies. Empty rhetoric.

[L0oniX]

55. Can't convience people who are willingly blind.

It's not a matter of voting for who represents the US citizens, it's boiled down to who can win ...with enough money. Got it.

[JoePhilly]

67. If you don't understand what I described

... it's no wonder you can't get the candidates you want elected.

So please feel free to attack Clinton and those who would happily vote for her. I'm sure they'll suddenly join you.

[Exilednight]

83. Questioning motive is just as important as questioning policy. Her history

Speaks volumes to her motive.

[geek tragedy]

30. People who think Clinton is a rightwinger are detached from reality

and are not capable of having factual discussions.

To claim that all people to the left of Reagan are oppose Hillary is a blatant, self-serving lie.

Unless you want to claim that people like John Lewis are to the right of Ronald Reagan.

[Scuba]

47. Pro war, pro Wall Street, pro TPP, pro Keystone XL, pro H-1B visas, member of "The Family".

Sounds pretty right wing to me.

[geek tragedy]

49. Pro TPP and Keystone?

Must have missed that part. As well has her call to repeal Dodd-Frank.

Also must have missed her signing onto those opposing Obama's Iran deal because they want a war with Iran

She's awful if one ignores all the good parts of he'd record-as you have deliberately chosen to do.

[Scuba]

59. Well, she helped write the TPP and has championed it around the world.

Here, in her own words ...

http://foreignpolicy.com/2011/10/11/americas-pacific-century/

We are also making progress on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which will bring together economies from across the Pacific — developed and developing alike — into a single trading community.

As for the Keystone pipeline ...

Source



Your ignorance of her policies does not speak well for you as a Democrat.

[geek tragedy]

74. A silly guilt-by-association infographic

is not a description of her policies. Neither is a speech by her husband (note to the Hillary haters: women have full legal independence from their husbands and are not considered mere extensions of them).


The TPP has been the subject of negotiations and changes since 2011. Clinton did have a role in negotiating it in 2011. That role ended in 2012.

I do not view supporting Bernie and hating Hillary to be compatible values.

[Motown_Johnny]

3. In related news: Water found to be Wet!

I don't think there is any doubt that the RW is doing everything possible to smear HRC.

There will be an endless cycle of attacks from a myriad of sources throughout the campaign.

The real problem is that it has a real chance at success. She will never be able to stay on message. Low information voters won't turn out due to the confusion from the endless attacks and the RW voters will be fired up to vote against her.

We all know this was, is and will continue to be the plan. I sure hope the Clinton campaign learned something from the "I didn't want to carry two phones" response that took over a week to dream up. If they didn't then she could come up with another "dodging sniper bullets" comment and throw the entire campaign out the window. Blaming it all on a vast right wing conspiracy isn't going to fly.

We should all be worried about this.

[mmonk]

4. All she has to do is be definitive in her positions.

That way, it will stop, or not.

[geek tragedy]

27. No , the lefties who fall for this crap dutifully

trot out rebuttals like:

--she's just copying Bernie

--she doesn't mean it

--she mau have poll-tested it

--what took her so long?

--squirrel! (Clinton foundation, fundraising, 1%er)

[stevenleser]

73. Yep. Doesn't matter what she does, those folks will twist it. Nt

[1StrongBlackMan]

56. No, it won't ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026683828#post48

[Fred Sanders]

5. Good thing RW operatives forgot to send hired hands to social media to use TPP as an anti-Obama meme, right?

Attacking Clinton, both of them, from the left?

Who needs hired hands when "from the left" is already doing a fine job for them without cost?

[Autumn]

6. What a pant load.

People are posting Hillary's own words and actions. If those are anti-Hillary memes then her own actions and words are responsible. To try to paint "liberal lefties" as dupes of the right is really a desperate action.

[Scuba]

9. /\_/\_This right here_/\_/\

[mmonk]

10. Yep. Because to be anti-union and pro dirty crude is so liberal.

[quickesst]

15. dupes or not

...the far far left is still doing the Repubs job for them. that's just a sad fact, no matter the level of sincerity.

[JoePhilly]

21. Correct ... anger the right, discourage the left, win the election.

[SidDithers]

25. +1...nt

Sid

[Autumn]

33. So posting a candidates own words and actions is doing the work of the repukes to depress the

voter turnout for that candidate? Did you ever stop to think maybe the problem lies in any candidate using those problematic words and actions, not the voter noticing them?

I think I know what your answer will be.

[earthside]

40. Too clever, again.

I tend to agree with 'YAWN' below ... Democrats and liberal groups will use the same tactic on Reuglicans and conservatives. It is politics.

On the other hand, this apparent strategy by the Hillary campaign to demur on talking about specific issues with any detail because it is only May 2015, once again shows me an elitist, out-of-touch, smarmy strata of her organization that is being too clever by half.

Democrats are looking for a dynamic, inspirational leader -- not a consultant-controlled politician.

Frankly, Hillary Clinton is a crummy candidate and always has been. She never would have been elected to the U.S. Senate from Arkansas -- New York was a state where she could cruise to a pretty easy win.

Her own words and actions, and her long political history are baggage of immense proportions -- if not exploited and explored in the pre-primary and in the primary season, then they will be in the general -- and Democrats will lose.

Hillary Clinton is a general election loser. Can the crazy Repuglicans win in November 2016? Yes, they can and Democrats better get out of this "it's Hillary's turn" thinking or they will facilitate a tragic election results for the nation.

[Autumn]

42. Yes their "it's Hillary's turn" thinking will put a republican in the White House.

Of course the Left will get the blame . But it is what it is.

[Maedhros]

41. Far FAR Left, now?

Demonizing us with only one "far" wasn't enough?

When I criticize Hillary, I'm not doing it for the Republicans. I'm doing it for myself - I DON'T WANT HILLARY TO BE PRESIDENT.

[quickesst]

75. actually....

I'm pretty far left, thus the extra left for distinction.

[TheKentuckian]

62. The Turd Way and it's shady operatives have been doing the job of the TeaPubliKlans for a generation

which is implementing corporate policy, facilitating corporate capture of our government, increasing the influence of the wealthy while scuttling democracy, and warmongering around the globe.

The Turd Way is the greatest friend the regressive right can have they assist in implementing the fascist agenda as they systematically stand down all functional political opposition by assimilating Democrats to the conservative worldview.

[FlatBaroque]

71. stellar post

[antigop]

53. like this?

[Mojorabbit]

70. I agree. nt

[SMC22307]

76. Exactly. And many of us have had the Clintons in our lives since the freakin' early '90s.

Arkansans even longer.

It's not like she's new to us.

[ananda]

12. Y a w n

[kpete]

24. ananda

i share your reaction

Yawning at the circus,
because we have seen it
SO many times already.....


peace to you
kp

[sufrommich]

13. The naivety of people who think crap like this begins and ends

with Hillary Clinton is astounding.This is the new republican dirty trick,the unsigned mailer in your mailbox,Atwater would be proud.It will be applied over and over again to every democrat running,it's not OK because you happen to dislike the democrat they're using it against at the moment.

[Peacetrain]

14. I told people that 7 months ago

I live in one of the most conservative parts of Iowa.. and I know a lot of people up and down the political spectrum.. and some have been pretty open, that they go on liberal sites to gin up the opposition to whoever they consider is getting good press. from the President to Elizabeth Warren..

And those who think for a second that any given candidate for the Democrats will not fall to this same strategy are DELUSIONAL.. or part of the process..

People have genuine concerns and differences among the candidates and that is good debate.

But when you see a general personal attack of a politician from the Democratic side by supposed Democrats.... take it with a grain of salt

My guess is that some have seen this and will sit on their hands hoping your op disappears really quickly

Whoever gets the Democratic nomination has my whole support and what little money a retiree can put out.. I will support them..

We have good people on our side..

[FlatBaroque]

16. Not I. I will kick this steaming pant load.

I can list a dozen reasons why I would never cast a vote for Hillary Clinton. I don't need right wingers to cue my disdain for the Clintons. Policy decisions such as:

The telecommunications act
The crime bill
Welfare reform
Repeal of Glass Stegall
Failure to regulate derivatives
NAFTA
....
...
...

provide sufficient information for me to make my electoral decisions.

[JoePhilly]

22. You have this backwards.

Hillary already has lots of folks ready and wiling to vote for her. Her alternatives, not so much.

Attacking her does nothing to raise any of them up.

But it might discourage Dems from voting, which is the RW goal.

[Bluenorthwest]

31. Where I live, negative campainging will not get you far. Most people do not care to hear rants about

dislike of others nor do they want people saying 'pantload' to them over politics. Most people here will listen to you positions on issues, will gladly hear your reasons for supporting the candidate you do support and are fine with comparing and contrasting candidate's positions. But your 'disdain' and all of that belongs to you and attempting to impose that onto others will backfire on you quickly.

I'm sure all that negativity helps elect Democrats where you are. It just will not work here.

[FlatBaroque]

35. Noted

[Katashi_itto]

44. +1000

I wont vote for her either

[geek tragedy]

50. You realize Bill and Hillary are two separate human beings, right? nt

[freshwest]

61. You missed the memo! They ruled together. Unconstitutional, but anyway. n/t

Bill has even said IF she wins the nomination and IF she wins the presidency, he's still not sure IF he will move back into the White House!

Which shoots down another theme, that she is just a placeholder while he does evil and she makes cookies. That's all First Ladies are good for, right?

[TheKentuckian]

64. Clinton has been a Senator and has run for President if people can't differentiate

it is probably because they aren't very different except she is more the bellicose warmonger than Bill ever let on in eight years.

[geek tragedy]

72. No, people are just prone to making lazy assumptions.

Bill Clinton was President. Hillary was a Senator. People who blame Hillary for what Bill did are not engaging in intelligent discourse.

[TheKentuckian]

80. Then point out and support these differences or better yet the candidate should.

[geek tragedy]

81. I just did. Hillary's record is her record.

Bill's is his record. His record is not her record.

[Doctor_J]

39. link to a du "attack" on Clinton that is personal, and not based on her republican policies

[1StrongBlackMan]

63. +1 ...

I have been saying for a while that narratives have been tossed against the left's social media wall to see what sticks ... and then, that which gets repeated is that which get pushed.

[procon]

17. As a strategy, divide and conquer tactics are very effective.

If one power is successful in breaking up the opposition, it becomes easier to manipulate the smaller pieces. By fostering hostile feuds between the opposition's groups, they become too resentful to link up and unite, even for their own success.

[sufrommich]

28. The GOP literally has no choice but to work to suppress the

democratic vote,there aren't enough republican voters to win a national election because their demographic is disappearing.

[procon]

45. That's absolutely true.

When you list out all the tactics they have in play, the grand scheme is all too clear. From voter suppression, painting government as a useless and unnecessary burden to discourage public interest, the steady stream of Big Lies against everything, manipulating how electoral votes are counted, a ruinous path to gain citizenship status just to become a voter, denying voting rights to ex felons (mostly minorities), etc.

I can't imagine how terrified these people are that they are willing to undermine our democracy rather than adapt and modernize their philosophies for the future and adjust to changing times. Intellectually, I know that they will eventually manipulate themselves into oblivion, but then I worry about what the next iteration conservative thinking will try to do to us.

[SidDithers]

23. The right hates Hillary. The fringe left hates Hillary...

And they're using each other to bash her.

Sid

[kpete]

26. i believe

that is THE recipe


thanks SidDithers,
kp

[L0oniX]

57. "The fringe left" the new DU troll ...right?

[SidDithers]

58. If the shoe fits, they can wear it...nt

Sid

[L0oniX]

60. Ah well ...more trolls to hunt. Enjoy.

[SidDithers]

69. Better Believe It!!...nt

Sid

[KingCharlemagne]

34. Maybe HRC should not have given and continue to give the right so much

material to work with, ya think? I mean, seriously, anyone with half an ounce of intelligence knew that the case for invading Iraq was based on lies and innuendo. Hillary voted for the Iraq War, making her either American political history's biggest dupe or something far, far worse.

[99Forever]

36. Once again:

I care fuckall what "the right" has to say about anything.

I care about the policies of ALL possible Democratic candidates, not just what they say, BUT WHAT THEY HAVE DONE.

Hillary Clinton's history tells me she is closer to "the right" than she is to me. I have seen NOTHING to change my opinion of that.


FAIL

[MineralMan]

37. Of course they are. That's a strategy the right

has used for a long time. We shouldn't fall for it, but we often do.

[Doctor_J]

38. They might also try to convince liberals that Mrs Clinton is one of them.

By hiding and lying about her conservative stances on most issues

[leveymg]

46. "filling a vacuum" means their memes aren't ours

Those who can't tell the difference should not be doing politics or pretend to be policing progressive spaces.

[frylock]

52. ah, the ever-popular "lefties are so stupid they have no idea that they're being duped" gambit..

seen it.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

85. That goes hand-in-hand with the Circle bullshit.

You know the circle? Here's how it works: if you're a Centrist, and you detest those both to the left and to the right of you, just make a circle out of left-right politics and claim that since this is now a circle, the far right and the "far left" meet up on the back side and they're really indistinguishable from one another. I've seen this line of garbage used about 6 times here recently. No one ever bothers to explain how such radically different people are actually the same. But see, it's a circle, so they must be right.

[MisterP]

65. "critics of candidate X are GOP DUPES EASILY FOOLED 'CUZ THEIR LIBURL!111"

must be a day that ends in -y

[Scurrilous]

68. K & R

[Half-Century Man]

78. A variation on the inevitability of Ms. Clinton.

The pre-planting of "Any deviation from the position of inevitable is easily explained by outside trickery."

Just because Ms. Clinton is being billed as the inevitable Democratic candidate by the main stream media is not a valid reason to believe it. The same main stream media sold the country of the Iraq War. The American main stream media routinely explores the social ramifications of twerking.
How many of us, while being engulfed in the flood, ever ask what is the "stream" in "main stream" comprised of? I suspect it would help Roses grow.

[MFrohike]

79. Heh

Would this be the same New York Times that employs Thomas Friedman? Just curious.

[cherokeeprogressive]

82. Pssst... it won't work.

[ucrdem]

86. Figured that out a while back. Probably the ones who keep claiming they're being astroturfed. nt