I also believe that poster Harlan1196 is in fact an Obot as you suggest.
DiogenesLamp argues that based on the poster’s alleged conservative opinions on other topics in the past, he is not.
In the spy world it is important to establish a credible persona that allows the infiltrator to be accepted.
Therefore an aspiring Obot would likely strive to appear conservative an all other things of lesser importance.
These topics might be standard boilerplate issues like abortion, socialized medicine, gun control etc.
However, the most important issue to Obama has to be that his work so far be preserved. If he is removed from office for the frauds and felonies he as committed he will have lost it all, up to and including ObamaCare, two socialists on the Supreme Court and every other bill he signed into law. All would be nullified. It would be a major catastrophe for the Left. This is why Obots like Harlan are sent out to ridicule, persuade, cajole, defame and demoralize conservatives as “Birthers”... to make anyone “ashamed” to even think “Birther” thoughts.
Notice all the classical Alinsky tactics he uses in his responses. In particular ridicule, name calling, and “shaming”.
Note also the sheer amount of time and energy he expends on this and similar threads defending Obama. I believe he must be paid well by his handlers for his considerable effort.
Of course we also can look at his FR home page where he sets up a convincing past. But the recent sign-up date is a red flashing light.
Poster El Sordo may also be an Obot, although his sign-up date is much earlier. But then how do we know this the original Sordo? Maybe his account was hacked or sold (Soros has lots of money and everyone has a price). Maybe Sordo changed his ideology... it happens. Look at the case of Barry Goldwater, or David Brock.
It is also possible that some of the Obots are not conscious agents but dupes, i.e. actual conservatives who have been Alinskyized by shame, ridicule and peer pressure from liberal friend and relatives, etc.
DiogenesLamp argues that based on the poster’s alleged conservative opinions on other topics in the past, he is not.
I was referring to El Sordo. I have looked at some of El Sordo's past posting history and commentary, and I see him take conservative stances on other issues. I have also looked at Harlan1196's commentary, and I do not recall seeing him do anything OTHER than defending Obama's legitimacy. I am suspecting he is an Obot myself.
In the spy world it is important to establish a credible persona that allows the infiltrator to be accepted.
Therefore an aspiring Obot would likely strive to appear conservative an all other things of lesser importance.
These topics might be standard boilerplate issues like abortion, socialized medicine, gun control etc.
This is only for the clever ones. I have argued with many of them, and I find a lot of them really really really do not want to talk about Abortion. I think in some cases, they just can't help letting their true feelings come out.
However, the most important issue to Obama has to be that his work so far be preserved. If he is removed from office for the frauds and felonies he as committed he will have lost it all, up to and including ObamaCare, two socialists on the Supreme Court and every other bill he signed into law. All would be nullified. It would be a major catastrophe for the Left. This is why Obots like Harlan are sent out to ridicule, persuade, cajole, defame and demoralize conservatives as “Birthers”... to make anyone “ashamed” to even think “Birther” thoughts.
Getting everything Obama did overturned is such a worthy goal that I simply cannot understand why there is anyone on the conservative side who would defend him. Even if they feel differently, isn't it better to just remain silent and let people try to take him down? Why defend him?
Notice all the classical Alinsky tactics he uses in his responses. In particular ridicule, name calling, and “shaming”.
Note also the sheer amount of time and energy he expends on this and similar threads defending Obama. I believe he must be paid well by his handlers for his considerable effort.
Or he is a "true believer." I have dealt with loony Democrats in the past. They will pull some dirty sh*t. Back in 1992, I put a sign up on my property next to a highway. It said "Clinton Supports Homosexuals." Within a week, they doused it with Gasoline and set it on fire. (I put it right back up again.) The Following week, they set my grassland on fire. Fortunately the local fire department was called and put it out before it reached my house. This was in the middle of the night.
To say that they are unhinged is an understatement. They are foaming at the mouth lunatics who can sometimes pretend to be normal.
Of course we also can look at his FR home page where he sets up a convincing past. But the recent sign-up date is a red flashing light.
His FR Home page is indeed inconsistent with his behavior. I find it hard to believe that someone could be so conservative on their home page, yet want to defend Obama. I do have one possible explanation for it though. On another website, there is a long serving Navy Officer whom I respect greatly. His mother is Italian, and his father is American. He was born in Italy. He is absolutely convinced that he is a "natural born citizen" and will not accept any argument which says otherwise.
I think this is an emotional response, and not a thoughtful one. I suspect that there are other people who are in some similar situation, that although they are conservative, they simply cannot accept the fact that THEY (or their Children) are not "natural born citizens." These people will defend Obama's claim, simply because they worry about their own. Just an idea.
Poster El Sordo may also be an Obot, although his sign-up date is much earlier. But then how do we know this the original Sordo? Maybe his account was hacked or sold (Soros has lots of money and everyone has a price). Maybe Sordo changed his ideology... it happens. Look at the case of Barry Goldwater, or David Brock.
It happens. I personally think Peggy Noonan has gone over to the other side, among others. On the other hand, El Sordo still writes things as though he were a conservative.
There ARE actual, real bonified, true conservatives who refuse to accept either the Birth Certificate, or the "Natural born citizen" issue. They simply will not accept it. The Ace of Spades HQ is filled with such people. I just saw there today where one of my most obnoxious debating opponents (Calling himself "Charlie Brown's Dildo") is hosting a meetup event in New Jersey for people who frequent Ace of Spades Website.
MOST of the conservatives on that website dismiss the birthcertificate/eligibility issue, and will argue viciously in favor of Obama's legitimacy. (Same thing with Allahpundit and Ed Morrissey over at Hot Air. And let us not Forget Eric Erickson of "Red State.)
This behavior has always puzzled me. Why someone would defend our enemy, I simply don't understand, but none the less I recognize we have Conservatives who will do so. As for Harlan1196, If all he does is defend Obama, I don't see much use for him even if he isn't an Obot.
I agree with everything you said. We have seen many 1998-2001 zots in the past few months.
I have said it on here on FR many times and I will say it again, sign up date and longevity mean nothing by themselves. The past posting history tells the tale...usually. a 10 year old member may have been a conservative long ago and like you said, somewhere along the line, they remarried a flaming lib, friends, new family members, whoever changed their mind yet they still have their FR account that is 10+ years old.
An Obot or a good liberal troll is on a mission. To change minds, create doubts and concerns. They have to create a persona to avoid detection. That’s what separates the good mods from the MINO’s on any internet forum. It isn’t always easy to bust a concern troll or Obot, Kerrybot, Clintonbot or whoeverbot, especially if they have baked that name for a few years.
I recall a couple of years ago, a 1998 FRreeper who was busted. It was obvious that she just cringed when a single derogatory word was said about Barry. She used her sign up date as a shield to blast anyone who dared to doubt her. However, a little investigation of her past posts showed that in 2004 when Barry spoke at the DNC convention, she drank the Koolaid. Her past posts busted her when all of her Soetoro fawning posts were exposed.
Diogeneslamp, with all due respect, is wrong and he befriends known trolls which is one of the reasons he is not trusted by so many freepers...you can tell a lot about a man by his friends.
There is one troll on here that knows he is skating on very thin ice. His best friends have been zotted( they were long time freepers)and he is all alone now, detested by many, suspected by most and it’s sort of fun to watch him squirm. He’s afraid to defend his Messiah right now so he just sort of wanders around, not posting much anymore. :P
Sometimes if you suspect someone is a long time troll, go back to their first days of posting on FR. If other Freepers were calling them a troll for the first few months, they probably were but as time went on, their longevity saved them and they became more savvy as to how to ride it out as a troll on FR.