Posted on 04/09/2016 2:33:28 PM PDT by Bubba_Leroy
If you’ve spent any time on social media, particularly in the politicalsphere, chances are you’ve encountered an internet troll or two. This election cycle has been er, um… interesting. I never thought I’d long for the days the so-called Paulbots would troll my feeds lecturing me about liberty and the Constitution and Dr. Paul. At least most of those accounts were real. Alas…
Not so in 2016.
The Trumpbots, or accounts that seem to exist solely to attack those with unfavorable views of The Donald, are a special breed of vicious. I’ve learned it’s best to ignore, block, and move on. Why waste time on people, or bots rather, not interested in positive engagement, I say.
I’ve also suspected there was a concerted effort to derail conversation on social media and to attempt to fluster influencers. It all reeked of some kind of psychological web warfare. Turns out, I might have been right.
Sure, Trump pulls in around a third of the Republican primary vote now, but it’s curious that he had an overwhelming appearance of support right out of the gate. The reader may remember Trump’s campaign was busted paying individuals to attend his early rallies.
These Trumpbots are behave especially hostile towards Ted Cruz. Professor Jacobson has encountered what was likely the working of the Trump botnet on more than one occasion, “It seems that every time our Twitter account gets involuntarily looped into some endless stream of vicious anti-Cruz tweeting, typically because we’ve retweeted something pro-Cruz by a well-known person, the relentless pro-Trump protagonist is someone with very few followers, but thousands of tweets,” he said.
Yesterday, Digital Analyst, Patrick Ruffini began digging into a score of Twitter accounts that seem to explain this bizarre Trump/social media phenomena. It might also explain the consistent skew in online polling (read: Drudge Poll).
Earlier this week, Jason Taylor, blogging at Medium, explained how it’s possible to procure around 500,000 ‘aged’ Twitter accounts to create a botnet:
From my years on Twitter I’ve ran many campaigns against in what I believed to be wrong, and unjust. I have years of knowledge on how to run multiple Twitter accounts, and how to go about getting those. It’s not as simple as going out, creating an email account and then starting a Twitter account, not if you’re talking about five hundred thousand accounts. And, brand spanking new Twitter accounts won’t cut it, they get suspended to easy. You need “aged” accounts, accounts that have been steeping for at least five years.
There are many places to go on the dark web to buy Twitter accounts that also come with email addresses, that’s where Team Trump went.
These “aged” accounts are not cheap, to amass half a million of those you’re looking at some real cash, not that Trump doesn’t have it, but you need planning and someone well versed in social media to put this plan into action. I’m sure that the Trump Team new the power of Twitter long before he ever jumped in the race for President.
With these Twitter accounts, Facebook, and an email account to go along with each one; it’s no surprise he (Trump) wins every online poll. Trump has tried to control the narrative from the start, and he’s done a pretty good job of it, up until now. This was well thought out, and executed the way a general might map out a war.
These Twitter accounts are easy to spot, accounts that are dated 2009 to 2012, with few followers and a solid line of Donald Trump propaganda. There are real people running these Twitter accounts, mostly from the middle east, using VPN’s and Proxy’s to hide from United States Twitter. Erick Erickson too explored Trump’s manufactured support and the troll accounts that harass him via email or call into his radio show insisting he said something anti-Trump when Erickson wasn’t even on the air — he was on holiday.
Last Tuesday night, my radio show saw a wave of callers calling in to complain about what I was saying that very night on radio. The callers assured my call screener they were listening. The calls were coming from area codes all over the nation and they were very angry about what I had just said on the radio that very night about Trump.
I was on vacation. The guest host had been talking about local matters and had not even mentioned Trump. Hello, seminar callers. Likewise, many of the calls to my radio station demanding I be fired or disciplined for insulting Trump have come from people making statements about my radio show that clearly indicate they have not listened to the show or the station.
Similarly, whenever I get a wave of emails attacking me for things about Trump, frequently the same IP address pops up. On Twitter, the waves come from people with rarely used or new Twitter accounts that are suddenly all in for Trump — every tweet an attack against someone or Trump propaganda. More often than not, the accounts have pictures of someone other than the the person tweeting and most do not use real names.
Certainly it could be people with low social connectedness, as Michael Barone has noted, but it sure seems odd to suddenly get a a wave of #whitegenocide tweets from accounts that are just suddenly active and all in to attack people who oppose Trump.
And then there’s the ‘news’ site, pushing nothing but pro-Trump propaganda that originated from… Macedonia?
In the wake of the Wisconsin primary, for example, supporters of Donald Trump took to social media posting what appeared to be valid news reports making fraudulent claims that electronic voting machines in Wisconsin were switching from Donald Trump to Ted Cruz.
This particular fake story appears to have originated at UnitedMediaPublishing.com, and was distributed ad nauseum all over social media. But the bogus story or a variation of it was additionally cited at many other pro-Trump propaganda websites, which were also shared repeatedly on social media.
An analysis prepared by John Daniels, editor-in-chief of Tavernkeepers.com and exclusively relayed to the Examiner examined numerous “news” sites. Daniels determined that the following pro-Trump propaganda sites sprung up in only the past several months from Macedonia, a nation bordering Greece. Using the website ICANN WHOIS, Daniels was able to determine the registrar, origination date and location of these websites:
1) Usanewsflash.com 2) 365usanews.com 3) worldnewspolitics.com 4) Usapoliticsonline.com 5) worldpoliticus.com 6) USAdailypolitics.com
Articles about fake voter fraud in Wisconsin and claims that Ted Cruz will be dropping out of the presidential race (he is not) were posted at all of the above sites. They linked back to other pro-Trump sites such as thepoliticalinsider.com, thegatewaypundit.com and endingthefed.com.
Included in the slideshow above is this excerpt from Trump’s The Art of the Deal where he discusses creating a perception to close a deal:
“My leverage came from confirming an impression they were already predisposed to believe,” wrote Trump.
Smart politics or gutter-dwelling tactics? Doesn’t really matter at this point because it worked.,
Uh huh.
“Uh huh.”
You really shouldn’t question someone when they try to be honest with you. I can understand that you need to go to bed tonight with a “win” so you can “enjoy yourself”.
Have at it :)
It wasn’t a question Maxi.
“It wasn’t a question Maxi”
Hey, no problem ...like I said, go “enjoy yourself” :)
I always do. Thanks Maxi!
“I always do. Thanks Maxi!”
Good for you :)
So for my “ignorant comment”. You are correct that Mr. Trump has never held elective office. And you are correct that if Mr. Trump had held such office for “decades” you would want him fired. I would too. I want all the b**tards fired that have been there for “decades”.
If Mr. Cruz had held office for “decades” and was running for President he would not have my vote. But he has not. He has been in Congress since January 2013.
If Mr. Trump had done the things the Mr. Cruz has done in Congress, been as consistent of a conservative as Mr. Cruz, and had called Mitch Mcconnell a liar instead of writing a check to him I might vote for him.
Mr. Trump has done nothing for “conservatism”. Please tell me what he has done. He attacks other conservatives but he has DONE nothing. He speaks eloquently (sometimes) but he has DONE nothing.
He has appealed to the basest instincts of conservatives without having the “bona fides”. In other words he hasn’t walked the walk. Where you are correct is that Mr. Trump has NO history. There is nothing to “attack” except his words, which keep changing.
I don’t believe you are ignorant and I do believe you have the best interest of the country at heart. Most of the people here do. There are other viewpoints and we should respect them.
Mr. Trump is now a politician. He’s going to say and do the things necessary to get elected. No different from any other politician.
The bottom line is no one knows what Mr. Trump is going to do if he wins. I know exactly what Mr. Cruz is going to do if he wins because he said what he was going to do in his Senate race and he has done exactly what he said he was going to do.
My friend we both want the same things (and that is what is so frustrating on both sides). Perhaps either vessel can deliver what we want. I’m betting on the one that, in my opinion, has been consistent throughout. Ultimately, once a decision is made I will support either. I trust you will do the same.
Wasn't a try, but I don't think we'll get anywhere with this. The 'all they can do is insult' insult does not insult me because I am not insulted, but it is, nonetheless, an insult. So, it's the pot calling the kettle, not black, but a pot
I’m tired of weak and frivolous excuses and wordy responses. I’m done with most everyone in D.C. They all have an excuse, just like Obama has an excuse for everything. He says his legacy is a strong economy. Gak.
Ask anyone in D.C., and I guarantee you every single one will blame someone else and take zero responsibility. It’s a charade with these people.
I’m tired of people not examining both candidates honestly. Just because one candidate says something about another does not mean it’s true. We live in a time where we can determine the truth. If we are honest with ourselves we cannot continue to take what someone says in an Internet forum as gospel. We need to examine it ourselves. That’s the only way to truth.
Sorry for being wordy...
That was a nice, insulting rant. Now how did that make you feel?
You are only one step away from logic like “He is so pro-Trump that he is likely to be violent, maybe I should kill him first!”
More on the topic..
Inside Donald Trump’s Potemkin Twitter Army
Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/433870/donald-trump-twitter-supporters-fake
Seriously. This is hilarious coming from the cry babies.
I still have the list bookmarked of some of the most vile and crude comments to and about Trump - from reporters and idiot writers and insiders. They are in full meltdown.
All the while cruz tries to act so ‘pure’ and it’s just that, an act.
When C. Steven Tucker, a devote Cruz voter/delegate, reverses course due to teddy lying about Trump, that shows what honest and decent people see, learn and know about teddy the liar.
How silly you sound...
Take a peek at some of the idiotic and truly vile comments put out there by writers/reporters/talking heads, directed at Trump personally and supporters of him.
erik that tub of lard is especially vile.
jim geraghty is full of hate.
rick wilson can’t control his hate.
rich lowry writes disgusting comments.
kevin williamson, same
ben howe, same
liz mair, same
george will, same
shall I go on?
So nameless voters scare this idiot writer, while the biggest voices out there are screaming vile degrading and disgusting comments every single day! You guys are so wrong about what is happening, it’s not even remotely funny anymore.
You should look around at the comments by cruz supporters, and I’m not talking about nameless people on line, I’m talking about the biggest names out there.
You want to see vile hatred? Take a look at what rick wilson/erik ericson/liz mair/ben howe tweet all day everyday...those are your bomb throwers, setting things on fire.
Normal people who are making their own choice, are being bombarded by hate filled tweets by these big name morons, at every turn.
Calling voters stupid is not a way to endear them to take kindly to your candidate.
You are absolutely correct. I know exactly when it began and I saw it unfold. The biggest cruz fans here started with the silly name calling (trumpsters et al) and it escalated from there. It was so obvious and I was shocked it was allowed to get so out of hand.
Human nature dictates that when you feel attacked, you either retreat or fight back.
Answer is, the paranoid imaginations of Trump-bashers.
It took you decades to figure out that Washington was corrupt but it only took you one speech to figure out that Donald Trump was the answer?
The dunce cap fits you.
They are paid by the word.
I've seen how Trump's waging his campaign and it's a bare bones very direct operation. The kind of filth described here is totally democrat. I've spend year here telling people how democrats write fake letters - some very insulting - as IF THEY WERE FROM CONSERVATIVES. Same with call ins to radio shows, letters to our legislators... etc.
If our newspaper were like the papers of old they would look into this... the fact that they're AREN'T is one more indication it's democrats behind this.
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