Clinton Haters Outpace Obama Backers on Facebook

[jefferson_dem]

Clinton Haters Outpace Obama Backers on Facebook
By Sarah Lai Stirland 09.28.07 | 12:00 AM

Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton dominates the airwaves, the Sunday political talk shows and the polls. And it turns out she's also dominating one of the hottest new media platforms in politics -- but not in a way she would like.

The largest pro- or anti-candidate group on the popular social-networking site Facebook is an anti-Clinton cluster named Stop Hillary Clinton (One Million Strong AGAINST Hillary), according to Facebook statistics.

At midweek, the group boasted nearly 425,000 members. It's growing 10 percent a month, says Micah Sifry, co-founder of TechPresident, a blog that covers the interaction of presidential candidates and the web.

TechPresident has been tracking the statistics on Facebook, and it took note when the Clinton-haters outstripped another campaign group named Barack Obama (One Million Strong for Barack). That grassroots campaign had 359,000 members at midweek.

"I don't think it's surprising that there's a lot of anti-Hillary sentiment out there," Sifry says. "To some people, Hillary's a known quantity, and a hated quantity. The difference is that they're using the new tools, and what is interesting is that it has outpaced the Obama group."

Facebook had an audience of just over 26 million unique visitors in August, according to Compete.com. The dominant user demographic is between the ages of 18 and 24, according to ComScore MediaMetrix.

That demographic is certainly reflected in the members of the anti-Clinton Facebook group -- the majority of whom appear to be either in college or high school.

<SNIP>

http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2007/09/facebook_hillary

[T_i_B]

1. There's always the DU Facebook group!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2426871461

Feel free to join up folks!

[nam78_two]

43. I did not know there was a DU group on facebook-I just joined

Facebook is lame, but I still have an account ;).

[Gman]

2. So the Hillary haters were between 6 and 12 years old

when Bill Clinton took office. They weren't born yet or were just born when Reagan won in 1980. So they never had to live through 12 years of Reagan/Bush. They never saw how everyone was working and making money and things were so much better during the Clinton years. They were then from 12 to 18 years old when this Bush took office but they "hate Hillary".

Go figure. Youth can be a very debilitating thing.

[Dawgs]

8. Or, they see her for who SHE is; not as Bill was.

Unfortunately, too many Hillary supporters believe we can't do better than what Bill Clinton accomplished.

[Gman]

32. They will be a package, two for one

just like it was in 1992.

[Capn Sunshine]

46. Free Trade and War hawk

hey, this isn't 1992.
Lets look ahead, not behind.
Let's try something new that hasn't been done in the 20th century.

[knight_of_the_star]

47. I don't want a new Dynasty

Especially not one that passed DOMA and NAFTA. If pulling off stuff like that are considered achievements then quite frankly I could care less.

[wyldwolf]

3. yes, Republicans and Obama supporters. One threatened to kill her recently...

Wonder if that was a GOPer or an Obamanite?

[jefferson_dem]

4. Perhaps another "dirty trick" engineered by Wolfson and his band of henchmen?

:shrug:

[wyldwolf]

6. ...or by a desperate Republican or Obamanite... or both?

[Gman]

31. That comment is out of order

Please don't slam our Democratic candidates. Each one of them is a fine candidate in his/her own right and would make a fine president that we would all be proud of. The Democratic party does not have the nuts that the Republic party has.

[wyldwolf]

41. "Please don't slam our Democratic candidates. " Oh, boo hoo

The days of Clinton supporters on DU constantly playing defense are over. If all manner of over the top posts can be made about her by supporters of other candidates, the reverse is also now true.

[jefferson_dem]

44. Whatever. You find it acceptable to accuse Obama supporters of issuing death threats.

Top that with any other charge you've seen made here.

[Gman]

49. Even though I support Hillary, I'm taking the high road

and I don't like or want to see any comments that slam any of our candidates. Any of our candidates would make a fine president.

[Cassandra]

5. Since I know someone who threatened to kill Kerry...

and might not have been joking, I'd say it was the same sort of slavering wing-nut, namely a GOPer.
Try not to slander other Democrats with accusations of attempted assasination; it's in really bad taste.

[wyldwolf]

7. LOL! Slander? You must be joking

It sounds just like what a wingnut would do... either from the left or the right.

[jefferson_dem]

9. LOL! Leave it to a Clinton supporter to triangulate...even a death threat.

n/t

[wyldwolf]

10. Leave it a "progressive" Obamanite to not know the definition of "triangulate."

[jefferson_dem]

12. Parsing words as a defense? Depends on what the definition of "triangluate" is..., eh.

Typical Clintonian deflection.

[wyldwolf]

14. No parsing. Words have definitions. And a defense of what?

The Facebook group is made up of those who hate Hillary Clinton. That would include GOPers and Obamanites of the DU strain.

[jefferson_dem]

23. My post was in reference to your suggestion that the death threat was either from

an "Obamanite" "progressive" on the left or a "GOPer."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3558359&mesg_id=3558419

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3558359&mesg_id=3558421

You stand by that charge?

[wyldwolf]

25. which is a misuse of the word "triangulation."

And yes, I stand by the charge the death threat was either from a Republican or an Obama supporter.

[Ethelk2044]

39. It is sad when they have to stoop that low. It makes you realize her supporters

know she does not have a chance in hell of winning the GE.

[Cassandra]

17. Your words

"One threatened to kill her recently...

Wonder if that was a GOPer or an Obamanite?"

Who asked you to bring Obama or any of his supporters into this? Your willingness to say anything in support of Hillary tars her a bit with your creepiness. I don't know whether she knows anything about what you post online but your style has a true believer type of devotion in it.

[wyldwolf]

20. "Who asked you to bring Obama or any of his supporters into this?"

This is a discussion forum. The story was reported by an Obamanite. I can bring anything into it I want. :)

[jefferson_dem]

24. I posted a link to Wired. You introduced the death threat and suggested it was an Obama supporter.

Personally, I'm fascinated by social networking and politics. What's your excuse?

[wyldwolf]

27. So? Do you set the agenda for a discussion? That facebook group is famous for that threat.

And you just LOVE that is has grown so much.

[jefferson_dem]

29. I posted the discussion topic. The group has grown.

That's the reality but it doesn't make me feel happy. Concern, yes...for this election and the future of our party and nation.

I wish Obama's Facebook page was still #1.

[bread_and_roses]

11. You think it likely that an "Obamanite" would threaten to kill Hillary?

On what grounds is an "Obamanite" more likely than a person fitting some other categorization? And is any candidate free from or responsible for some disturbed person who happens to latch on to their campaign as part of a distorted, mentally ill world-view? So if it were an "Obamanite" what possible relationship would that have to Obama or his campaign? I don't happen to be an "Obamanite" but I cannot see any hate-mongering or incitement to violence in his campaign - can you?

And what possible motive could you have in posing such a question?

[William769]

13. The good news is the demographic of this group

Is the least likely to vote. AT least this group doesn't lie about hating Clinton, like some people I could mention.

[jefferson_dem]

16. The bad news is this group is the *NEW* generation of voters...

who will be around for the next half century.

Wouldn't it be nice to socialize them into the Democratic camp for as long as they are...around? But, hey, you're all about "win"-at-all-costs-now, I guess.

[William769]

18. "But, hey, you're all about "win"-at-all-costs-now"

And your not? :rofl:

And you say that with what you just posted in the original OP. :rofl:

[Gman]

34. But the good news is also that this *NEW* generation will also grow up

and become more conservative (yes, conservative) just as those before them have. Hopefully, this generation won't get as bad as Allen Dershowitz.

[wyldwolf]

15. a Facebook group created by a Young Republican who heads the NH office reported by an Obamanite

[Cassandra]

19. Obamanite sounds like...

some mineral discovered on Star Trek.

[wyldwolf]

21. Obamanites... part of the Obama nation... or abomination?

[Cassandra]

22. You're so clever....

not.

[wyldwolf]

28. thank you.

[Forkboy]

50. He thinks he's very clever.

There's a better word than clever to describe it, but rules are rules.

[Colobo]

33. Why do you hate us, wyld?

[William769]

37. Better question is why do you hate us?

[jefferson_dem]

26. The story is in Wired mag. Are all 450,000 members "Young Republicans"?

:shrug:

[William769]

30. I would hope so.

I would not like to think of a Democrat belonging to a hate group.

[Ethelk2044]

38. It is not a hate group if they do not want Hillary Elected

Is is just like Hillaryis44 group

[William769]

45. Thats not a group, thats a web site.

Maybe you should look up the definition of a hate group, it may be broad, but this group fits the criteria.

[jefferson_dem]

53. I thought Hillary was appealing to "invisible people"...

Those look fairly three-dimensional to me. Holograms perhaps?

[William769]

54. How many people belong to that website?

[Hippo_Tron]

35. I think a lot of them are uninformed as well

For example, I have a somewhat apolitical friend who said that she wouldn't stop and talk to her tour group when they were visiting the capitol but that John McCain was very nice and spoke with them for 10 minutes.

Combine that with the already negative image of Hillary and you have the same effect as people who don't like John Edwards because of his $400 haircut except multiply that by about 50 to 100.

I'm not voting for Hillary but I'll be the first to admit that the reasons that many people have for disliking her are complete bullshit.

[T_i_B]

42. Rather then just smearing everyone else...

How about promoting PRO-Hilary Facebook groups instead?

[MethuenProgressive]

36. There's a difference between the two?

:shrug:

[wyldwolf]

40. not too much of a difference

[Capn Sunshine]

48. I don't hate Hillary. Far from it. But here's why she can't win

I've said this over and over. I , and millions of my fellow Obamaramas on this campaign, do not hate Hillary. Never have, Never will. I respect her service, I loved the terms her husband served in office.

BUT her organization and advisory staff is composed of every insulated beltway pundit who ran and lost the past two presidential campaigns.This is the bunch who advised Gore to drop his court case, and Kerry not to press fraud charges in Ohio. Those same Dems fought Howard Dean tooth and nail. First, they squashed hsi campaign, and that's fine. It's politics. Then they battled and lobbied and did everything they could to fight the 50 state strategy. They have a skewed view which says we have to water down our beliefes, that the Democratic party "base" is too leftwing", the blogosphere is ill-informed and reactionary, and that we can't win by standing up for what we are and differentiating ourselves to the electorate. Despite the obvious success of exactly that in 2006.

IF Hillary gets the nomination, this bunch will assure that what should be a walkaway ends up being a "razor thin loss" where "America just isn't ready for a woman president".


It will all be bullshit, and it's entirely preventable.

[wyldwolf]

52. uh... what?

her organization and advisory staff is composed of every insulated beltway pundit who ran and lost the past two presidential campaigns.

Like who?

Those same Dems fought Howard Dean tooth and nail. First, they squashed hsi campaign, and that's fine. It's politics. Then they battled and lobbied and did everything they could to fight the 50 state strategy.

Who and in what way?

Your entire post amounts to little more than progressive folklore.

[Forkboy]

51. Don't worry...they hate all Dems and will go after any of them.

They don't really hate Hillary more than any other.None of these people will even vote in '08.

Yeah...that's the ticket!