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The Obama Administration Trolls
Townhall.com ^ | April 17, 2014 | Carol Platt Liebau

Posted on 04/17/2014 8:10:08 AM PDT by Kaslin

Someone in the lefty press is catching on.

Slate's John Dickerson points out that the Obama administration routinely "trolls" the GOP -- that is, deliberately misstates information about matters of public concern in order to keep what they consider favorable topics foremost in the public mind. Dickerson uses the topic of the "wage gap" as one example; I would use the topic of voting rights as another. In other words, the president and his administration are giving the press and the people purportedly factual information that they actually know is untrue as part of a deliberate strategy.

As Dickerson points out, there is something breathtakingly cynical about this approach. Not only is it wrong, it degrades the office of the presidency, and undermines whatever trust Americans still have in their elected officials -- a troubling phenomenon for a democratic republic.

Although his successors will reap the whirlwind, President Obama has obviously decided he doesn't care: The strategy is perfect to foment unrest and agitation by keeping low-information voters in a perpetual state of indignation against the GOP, and thus at least incrementally increases the chances that turnout among Democrat groups won't be as low this fall as many fear.

But it may also explain why, as Katie noted below, 60% of Americans think their President is lying to them about things that matter. After all, they're not stupid, and perhaps the President ultimately will come to realize that seeking to exploit fear powered by ignorance isn't really the best strategy for a leader to choose.

As with so many of his other policies, by choosing this course, the President is sacrificing the long-term good of this country for his own, short-term political objectives. Sad. And destructive.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: demagogues; obama; obamalies; obamatrolls
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1 posted on 04/17/2014 8:10:08 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin


Orwell must be spinning in his grave.


2 posted on 04/17/2014 8:14:08 AM PDT by caligatrux (...some animals are more equal than others.)
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To: Kaslin

3 posted on 04/17/2014 8:15:43 AM PDT by JPG (Yes We Can morphs into Make It Hurt.)
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To: Kaslin

Are these some of the FReepers who keep posting mis-information about Scott Walker?


4 posted on 04/17/2014 8:15:54 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: Kaslin

One guy in the liberal media gets it. He’ll be ignored.

What do you expect when a Chicago community organizer is elected president?


5 posted on 04/17/2014 8:16:28 AM PDT by brownsfan (Behold, the power of government cheese.)
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To: Kaslin

Pretty obvious in the events leading up to the 2012 election and since then. The MSM did everything they could to keep the topic away from the real issues and the same today. The $4 trillion big government is THE issue. How it is wrecking lives and the economy is also an issue but not as big an issue as the size of federal government itself, which must be cut by at least 80% (=$800 billion, still too big, but it’s a start).


6 posted on 04/17/2014 8:17:34 AM PDT by PapaNew
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To: Kaslin

Miss-stating your opponent’s position, then criticizing them for it is an old, old political strategy. Ted Kennedy used it many times and even admitted to it, proudly.....................


7 posted on 04/17/2014 8:21:05 AM PDT by Red Badger (LIberal is an oxymoron......................)
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To: Kaslin

Democrats have to lie. If they told the truth they’d all be hung. Most likely by their own supporters.


8 posted on 04/17/2014 8:27:46 AM PDT by smoothsailing
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To: Kaslin

He must not want to keep his CBS job.


9 posted on 04/17/2014 8:28:22 AM PDT by MUDDOG
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To: Red Badger

thankfully Ted is finally where he deserved to be all along..rotting in hell.


10 posted on 04/17/2014 8:28:39 AM PDT by acapesket
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To: Kaslin
To slate's Dickerson:

DUH


11 posted on 04/17/2014 8:31:31 AM PDT by logi_cal869
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To: Kaslin

What did people expect? Common experience would tell any person who has lived in this country exactly what this poor soul was going to do; i.e. lie, cheat and steal.


12 posted on 04/17/2014 8:31:37 AM PDT by AEMILIUS PAULUS (It is a shame that when these people give a riot)
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To: Kaslin

The only conclusion I can draw from those polls is that 60% of Americans are racist.


13 posted on 04/17/2014 8:38:38 AM PDT by Night Hides Not (For every Ted Cruz we send to DC, I can endure 2-3 "unviable" candidates that beat incumbents.)
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To: Kaslin

“...seeking to exploit fear powered by ignorance isn’t really the best strategy for a leader to choose.”

To be fair... all the historic examples prove otherwise:

Hitler
Papa Doc
Stalin
Peron
Fidel

Etc.


14 posted on 04/17/2014 8:55:07 AM PDT by SMARTY ("When you blame others, you give up your power to change." Robert Anthony)
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To: Kaslin
Obama’s Disinformation operation running full steam as always.
15 posted on 04/17/2014 8:56:39 AM PDT by Navy Patriot (Join the Democrats, it's not Fascism when WE do it, and the Constitution and law mean what WE say.)
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To: acapesket
The Kennedys, the organized crime family that killed America.
16 posted on 04/17/2014 9:02:01 AM PDT by Navy Patriot (Join the Democrats, it's not Fascism when WE do it, and the Constitution and law mean what WE say.)
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To: Navy Patriot

Amen. The damage they did to our country has only been exceeded by the “Clown in the White House.”


17 posted on 04/17/2014 9:05:14 AM PDT by AEMILIUS PAULUS (It is a shame that when these people give a riot)
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To: AEMILIUS PAULUS
And the Clown in the White House only got there because of Teddy the Swimmer’s Immigration “Reform” Act.
18 posted on 04/17/2014 9:10:15 AM PDT by Navy Patriot (Join the Democrats, it's not Fascism when WE do it, and the Constitution and law mean what WE say.)
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To: Red Badger
Miss-stating your opponent’s position, then criticizing them for it is an old, old political strategy. Ted Kennedy used it many times and even admitted to it, proudly...

Unfortunately for some of us, FR has never (can never) be immune to this same lying tactic.
19 posted on 04/17/2014 9:29:04 AM PDT by Resettozero
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To: Kaslin

We have them here


20 posted on 04/17/2014 9:39:09 AM PDT by Nifster
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