Democrats were fooled by their social media echo chamber in 2016. Now Republicans may be falling into the same trap

  • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    39
    arrow-down
    16
    ·
    edit-2
    2 months ago

    Probably more accurate to say “Democrats fooled themselves with their social media echo chamber” and really only if you are referring to the national Democratic Party and groups like Correct the Record. Doesn’t really apply to the voters or state-level Dems.

    The Clintons and using media to “massage” the message goes back to the '92 election and using satellite feeds back to the campaign headquarters in Arkansas to do things like communicate with their campaign team on the ground at events to say “Hey, can you pan the camera to the right just a little bit, then the protestors won’t be in the frame.” This is well documented by the 90’s documentary film Spin.

    So Clinton signed up to use Correct the Record to massage the message on the internet, fooling themselves into thinking that was enough. It’s also why we’ve seen very little progress on making laws to force paid political operatives to have to state that they’re paid advertisements online, because both parties participate in this practice and don’t want to stop. Which is part of why its hard to stop other nation-state actors from doing it as well, because we won’t even criminalize it in our own political parties. It makes no sense that a political ad on television must disclose its funding and who endorses it, but when it’s a sockpuppet online it’s a fucking free-for-all.

    • qprimed@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      2 months ago

      the real insanity is that your excellent observations are being downvoted.

      people just have to create their preferred echo chamber any where they are and we all suffer for it.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      arrow-down
      40
      ·
      2 months ago

      It’s also why we’ve seen very little progress on making laws to force paid political operatives to have to state that they’re paid advertisements online, because both parties participate in this practice and don’t want to stop.

      No no no. It’s only one party. And that party only takes money from the Evil Russians. And if you disagree then you’re a fake NPC Wumao tankie who wants Trump to win.

      • Aqarius@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        2 months ago

        It’s kinda funny, though: the Overton window shofted so far to the right we’re at a point where both parties pin the blame for everything wrong in America on foreigners.