Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

The desire to stay informed is directly at odds with the need to not be constantly enraged.

Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

Dear Washington Post, you are the darkness now.

Everything is totally normal and fine!!!

GOP baffled that ‘we don’t care if you die’ is not a winning slogan.

Fight them, without becoming them!

“Just close your eyes and kiss the girl and go where the tilt-a-whirl takes you.” ~OzarkHillbilly

“The defense has a certain level of trust in defendant that the government does not.”

“In the future, this lab will be a museum. do not touch it.”

Fundamental belief of white supremacy: white people are presumed innocent, minorities are presumed guilty.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

There are a lot more evil idiots than evil geniuses.

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

Come on, man.

He really is that stupid.

Baby steps, because the Republican Party is full of angry babies.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

You are here: Home / Elections 2024 / Hopeful Dawn Open Thread: Magdi Jacobs on Social Media Tactics

Hopeful Dawn Open Thread: Magdi Jacobs on Social Media Tactics

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Hopeful Dawn Open Thread: Magdi Jacobs on Social Media Tactics 1

(Jack Ohman via GoComics.com)

I’m really bad at social media (twitter & BlueSky) myself — I’m not a fast reader, and tend to treat them as ‘places I mine for blog aggregation’ — but per Ms. Jacobs’ suggestions, I’m gonna work on at least reposting more often:

1. It’s fine to disagree w/ Dems from now until #EDay; That said, plz do so respectfully & kindly. The media thrives on Democratic discord. Every time Democrats/Leftists/etc engage in ferocious debate online, editors contact people like me to write Op-Eds. This drives coverage.

2. Put winning the election above social media clout. This involves not trying to be cool by dragging other Democrats (or possible Dem voters). It also involves not overly curating your twitter feed. RT Cringe. RT Democrats saying good things. This matters…

3. While you commit to *not* arguing, at least in a hostile way w/ Dems, commit to trying to argue w/ conservatives. Don’t just drag them (tho dragging is good), try to argue with them. Make a debate with conservatives blow up online so much that editors contact writers to do an OpEd

4. If it’s too hard to try to argue w/ a conservative, & I agree this may be the case, commit to not just dragging them, but also to finding joy in doing so *w/ others,* a la “Weird.” We’ve never done something like “weird” before. It was great. Gave us joy/strength; put them on defensive.

5. Just as you commit to RTing great things–including cringe things–about Democrats, commit to RTing every single negative thing you see about Trump. Trump has *massively* benefited from an almost 9 month media blackout. As well as normalization. Pierce through this.

That’s about it, for now. The goals are these: Deprive media of Dem Discord. Give them other debates to cover. Spread joy. Create the perception of *strength* in numbers by liking & RTing every Good Democratic tweet. Reject over-curating your account. RT @KamalaHQ in particular.

One last thing, though. I’m not trying to reignite Biden-Drop-Out debates, b/c I am delighted by how things have turned out. But I do want to note something for explanatory purposes: Post-June-Debate, many Black Democrats tried, valorously, to make “Black Jobs” trend.

This worked, to some extent, but “Black Jobs” seemed to get drowned out by Dem discord over everything else. Imagine if things had gone differently. Either Biden performed better or our social media focus had just been different. “Black Jobs” would have hurt Trump quite a bit.

Now, look at this Simone Biles Tweet. So many likes + RTs. I saw it & immediately looked at the “numbers” for the tweet. The “numbers” made me so happy, but also made me think, “I don’t have to RT that, b/c everyone has seen it.” WRONG, Magdi. I should have RT’d it!

Hopeful Dawn Open Thread: Magdi Jacobs on Social Media Tactics

Why? Again, b/c numbers matter. 1.3 million likes? Amazing. What if it got to 2 million likes. Or 200K RTs? That’s strength. Strength in our joyful coalition. Strength in our patriotism. And strength in mocking the bad ideas of the other side.

From now until EDay, focus all your negativity on our opponents. Put Trump under the spotlight. All while finding joy in our coalition. Practice respect in our disagreements. Reject clout. Reject anti-cringe. Reject over-curation. Give Kamala Harris GREAT social media numbers…

All negativity towards other Dems, all motivation to be the “most right,” the “knowiest of all,” etc, throw that all out the window. If someone does it to you, don’t respond. They are injecting necessary negativity into the discourse. Which is why Russian trolls imitate them!

Let’s just say we’re done with all that. It’s not the right way to behave in a coalition. Mute it out. Joyfully.

P.S. I’m also going to try to QT things more often that I love w/ simple messages, like, for example, “I love this!” Typically I might feel a bit embarrassed, like why do my followers need to know what I love? Shouldn’t I think of something smart to say? We should reject this.

Just. . . be open to tweeting your love. To sharing it with your followers so that they can share their love back. We can be excited and happy and hopeful together. I truly believe that this is how we win this election.

Or, at the very least, it will keep us all saner over the coming hectic months.

Reader Interactions

170Comments

  2. 2.

    frosty

    Yes, thanks for copying this all out. WG mentioned it but it’s really good to read it all.

  3. 3.

    BellyCat

    I’m old enough to remember when Twitter was launched. A good friend got really into it, touting the miraculous social transformations it would bring.

    My thought then remains the same today: the entire thing seems totally bizarre.

  4. 4.

    SpaceUnit

    Good post.  This is a fight and it’s going to get ugly.  Chronic bedwetters can fuck off.

  6. 6.

    Baud

    the “most right,” the “knowiest of all,”

    Nominated for the rotating tag.

  7. 7.

    Baud

    Just. . . be open to tweeting your love. To sharing it with your followers so that they can share their love back.

    Just to be 100% clear, she’s not talking about dick pics, right?

  8. 8.

    David_C

    Magdi is one of the clearest thinkers I know. I already liked her tweet – now to go back and retweet.

  10. 10.

    Baud

    Bottom line: Fight Republicans with the same intensity you would fight a Democrat who is only 98% aligned with your views.

  12. 12.

    oldster

    I understand the contemporary sense of the word “cringe”, so I can work out “anti-cringe”.

    But can someone help me with “over-curate”? What particular bad habit does this phrase describe?

    Asking for an old person.

  14. 14.

    BellyCat

    @oldster: My mother is not a hoarder, she just over-curates.

    (Similarly confused about this term, digitally, but like the IRL potentials!)

  15. 15.

    Princess

    @oldster: it means: don’t only post or retweet the most edgy, wry, creative hot takes. Post simple enthusiasm, ordinary campaign promotion etc.

  16. 16.

    Princess

    @BellyCat: I’d say over-curation is the exact opposite of being a hoarder, not a version of it. Over-curation means you only post one perfect thing a day (like you’d collect only three perfect objects unlike a hoarder who keeps everything). She’s suggesting people post and retweet simple campaign stuff widely.

  18. 18.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Or, at the very least, it will keep us all saner over the coming hectic months.

    In my experience, sanity is way overrated.

  23. 23.

    Cheryl from Maryland

    @oldster: thinking too much about what you post and only posting what you think as perfect.  It’s actually a term of art in my profession as a retired art historian – a museum curator who over-curates is one only displays art by artists of accepted note rather than art which is more interesting or visually exciting by an unknown or new artist.

  27. 27.

    Suzanne

    @WereBear: Social media, podcasts, YouTube channels
.. all have far more reach to the under-40 (or under-35, however you measure) crew than any of the legacy media we complain about here.

  34. 34.

    TBone

    Our college radio station WQSU is playing ‘Smells Like Team Spirit’ right now 😊

    Yes I improvised

  35. 35.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @BellyCat:

    Dems putting trust in Elon’s play toy

    I believe they have no choice.  He owns the platform.  Ask politely knowing he’s very unlikely to do anything is all they’ve got.  Trust is not involved.

  36. 36.

    Planetjanet

    There are only 38 quote tweets on Magdi Jacobs’ original post.  Make sure your friends see it.

  40. 40.

    TBone

    Philly on my mind today 💙 and here’s a ‘It Should Happen To You’ reminder that Dave is single:

    https://www.inquirer.com/life/dave-cline-single-billboard-20240805.html

    Dave is regretting his choice. Only in Philly!

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Should_Happen_to_You

    And if you’re just here for the cat pictures, he promises to do his best to get back to you as soon as possible.
    “Just remember I’m a guy, and I’m trying to do something funny to make people laugh and not to take this too seriously,” he said.

  45. 45.

    sconosciuto

    Start telling the gobshites, “You should start practicing your ‘iT wUz StOLiN’ routine”, it will drive them nuts.

  49. 49.

    Geminid

    @David_C: I have learned a lot from Magdi Jacobs. I first encountered her as “Mangy Jay,” on Ragnarok Lobster’s Twitter feed. That’s a good place to find strong Democratic voices.

    Last year was one of personal transition for Jacobs. She left a troubled marriage and the small Pennsylvania college town where she’d lived the last few years. Jacobs grew up in Alaska, but her parents now live in Minneapolis and she stayed with them for a while.

    Now Jacobs is living in Pittsburgh and really likes it. She turned 40 a few months ago and celebrated by listening to the Cranberries.

  50. 50.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    Good ole Driftglass on a non-traditional media platform:

    The Republican party didn’t make a Faustian bargain with Donald Trump in 2016-2024.

    The Republican party made its Faustian bargain with Atwater, Gingrich, Falwell, Limbaugh, Murdoch, Weyrich, Viguerie et al *decades* ago.

    Trump just showed up to collect the debt.

    https://twitter.com/Mr_Electrico/status/1819721155130835054

  51. 51.

    Baud

    I am seriously happy that there is a burgeoning new media for libs. I feel so many of our problems stem for the fact that we haven’t had that, while the right had a plethora of media.

  52. 52.

    Suzanne

    @Baud: We all love to snark on Maggie Haberman, Ross Douthat, David Brooks, etc
.. but Catturd probably shapes more minds.

  53. 53.

    WereBear

    @Baud: Utterly. Online is a whole new ecosystem, and I find the scrappy independents have much better reporting than the corporations.

    Broadcast news had its troubles, too. But now, anyone with a cell phone can do journalism. Often, they do.

    They have their own farm system, like in baseball. And it’s competing on trust and ethics, as well.

  54. 54.

    Baud

    @Suzanne:

    Not all. I ignore all the NYT columnists, except when others here talk about them. I’m not suggesting people shouldn’t push back on what they say, but I tend to not spend my time with people I don’t find credible.

  57. 57.

    Baud

    @WereBear:

    Well, I wouldn’t necessarily trust anyone with a cell phone.  I hope that online brands establish themselves as credible sources of information. I’m not interested in getting an outrage fix from fake news.

  60. 60.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @TBone: I love this line

    Still, an hour into his speech, the Atlanta crowd had emptied out more than usual.

    An hour long speech.

  61. 61.

    hueyplong

    @TBone: Diaper Don can’t or won’t make it to the shitter, so the smart money says he’s unlikely to die there.

  63. 63.

    Betty Cracker

    Jacobs is a smart political observer who knows a lot more about creating an effective social media presence than I do. But isn’t one of the main things people value about social media content that it reflects the account holders’ authentic point of view, i.e., it provides access to opinions that aren’t filtered to conform to an agenda?

    Jacobs is suggesting that Dem social media users conform to an agenda. Maybe she’s right, but the suggestion makes me glad I’m not participating on those platforms these days. Retweeting “the cringe” and avoiding “over-curation” and heated arguments with other coalition members could come across as boring and fake, like a benign troll farm. 

  64. 64.

    WereBear

    @Baud: People with things to report send them in. Competency is something places like MeidasTouch Network actually offers, like law and medical experts.

    Because Democrats can tell the difference. By now, we have the only actual competent people. And the true shape of what the next Trump term might bring is dawning on some Republicans.

    “Republicans for Harris” is now a thing. Come on home to democracy, people. Let the babies have their cult.

  65. 65.

    WereBear

    @hueyplong: For some reason, I thought of how myths cross pollinate, and please let’s not have Trump Sightings…

    Wherein a bloated man in a blue suit and red tie and a bad wig was wheeled into a Sack o’ Suds down south and he spoke the most beautiful words, the best words, only the best…

    While his Mormon handler got him a whole box of those cakes with the strawberry jam caked with coconut.

  66. 66.

    hueyplong

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage: The first time I remember actually being scared of republicans was watching Paul Weyrich be interviewed on election night in 1980. It was the most Nazi thing I’d seen on tv other than old film of the real thing.

  67. 67.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @TBone:

    Bloomsburg.  So Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania?

    I’ve driven thru their a couple of times but it’s been a loong time.

  68. 68.

    Baud

    @Betty Cracker:

    Everyone conforms to an agenda.  Otherwise, people’s feeds would have random stuff. It’s just a question of which agenda people choose to promote.

  69. 69.

    Geminid

    @Geminid: Magdi Jacobs washoing to high school in Alaska when she volunteered for Ralph Nader’s 2020 presidential campaign. She was too young to vote. It did not take Jacobs long to realize her error, and that experience may have influenced her political development.

    After college, Jacobs studied Linguistics at Vanderbilt University. Jacobs developed a sound base of language and social science knowledge, and this often shows in her writing and penetrating analysis

  70. 70.

    Suzanne

    @Betty Cracker: I follow Jacobs, too, and I mostly find myself in alignment with her. But I’m with you here. She and other Dems seem to have started adopting an attitude that Dems should be very conformist in “public space” because “trolls and bots are watching”. This strikes me as incredibly paranoid and ultimately silencing. I appreciate that cultivating and moderating online spaces is an art, but this feels far too close to the “no enemies to the right” attitude that the other side uses. And it’s gross when they do it.

    Goodness, I’m old enough to remember back when people around this here very blog criticized “safe spaces” and “trigger warnings” as being antithetical to free speech.

  71. 71.

    stinger

    I love that Jack Ohman comic up top, where Trump’s tie gets longer, like Pinocchio’s nose, with every lie he tells.

    And now I’m just waiting to fall in love with whoever Kamala picks.

  72. 72.

    WereBear

    Also, hey — DEMOCRACY ON THE LINE and I think we can all be forgiven if things get heated as a result.

    Dammit, things should.

  73. 73.

    JWR

    Hmm. Interesting POV about the possible VP.

    Background Briefing with Ian Masters
    Governor Tim Walz May be Kamala Harris’ Pick For VP (Length 16:19)
    With David Schultz a Professor of Political Science at Hamline University and the University of Minnesota School of Law

    The guy says that the ties between Shapiro and Bibi’s Israel is deeper than previously thought.

  74. 74.

    Ken

    @Baud: Just to be 100% clear, she’s not talking about dick pics, right?

    Right. She’s talking about twitter, the “P*SSY IN BIO” place. Facebook is the place for dick pics.

  75. 75.

    WereBear

    @Betty Cracker: I think a more measured approach would be to share the ones a person likes the most, while still keeping up what makes ours have a personality.

    Unless, of course, one is a political nerd, and that’s why people follow you. I sure the thread will discuss the pros and cons.

    But honestly, without some good reason to be on Zitter, I would worry ol’ Elon is finding some way to get his grubby fingers into my data pies if I interact much on that space.

    Like, following a link for a petition or “more information” and look at what he does when he’s trying to be helpful, it’s just an excuse to comb data.

  76. 76.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @Geminid:

    After college, Jacobs studied Linguistics at Vanderbilt University.

    I’m guessing she taught some classes at Georgia when she was in her MA program (not unusual depending on the department, I did in my MA program):

    https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1433841

    It’s not everyday that you see somebody say “I would punch a kitten to take another class from her.”

  77. 77.

    TBone

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage: thanks, I live very close by and have gone to Bloomsburg for shopping several times.  They have options that Lewisburg (Bucknell, where I live) doesn’t.

    The Uni is called Bloomsburg U in these parts despite the actual name.

    I appreciate the info!

  80. 80.

    Geminid

    @TBone: Magdi Jacobs lived in Bloomsburg, and talked about the politics of the people there from time to. She said she encountered a lot of people her age and younger who did not vote, and thought about how they might be engaged.

  81. 81.

    Suzanne

    @WereBear: I haven’t posted on Xhitter in over two years. I think I’ve posted under 15 times total. I am deeply suspicious of it. I try to follow accounts that will broaden my views and push intelligent content
.. but the algorithm that pushes additional suggested content at you is opaque as hell. It makes it feel like your feed reflects reality, but it doesn’t.

  82. 82.

    MomSense

    @Baud:

    I think it’s fine to post and scroll on xitter but since Melon Husk took over it is a shell of what it used to be and not in a good way.  I’m suspicious of the changes to the algorithm, some of the added features, and the AI used there now.  A lot of people left.
    Jacobs advice is fine for public platforms but it doesn’t really apply to small blogs like this one.  We are talking to ourselves here.

    Back in 2012 I was the digital media director for Maine for the Obama campaign – many states filled these positions with unpaid staff to save money for the most contested 7 states.  We had weekly trainings with the campaign’s digital team and multiple daily briefings.  Obviously there has been significant change in the platforms, but the training for how to evaluate, use, amplify and message is applicable to the new digital universe.

    None of the new social media sites have been able to replicate what Twitter used to be and Xitter is broken now. I think that’s intentional.

  83. 83.

    Suzanne

    @Planetjanet: I would like to think that there exists — or could exist — a space in between lockstep agreement and tearing one another’s throats out.

  84. 84.

    Bupalos

    @BellyCat: I think it’s a lot worse than bizarre. It’s changing people’s brains. Without agreeing or disagreeing with the specific recommendations here, it’s like everyone believes they live full time in front of a one-way mirror in a corporate focus group they are trying to distort. And the CEO is Elon Musk.

  85. 85.

    TBone

    @Geminid: we’re turning that around here in PA – at every street fair, bazaar, town gathering I’ve attended there’s a table set up by our local Dems.  Campaign Office on the main drag, very visible!  I always roll down and shout out the window when going past 😍 to draw even more attention

    https://www.uniondemocrats.org/headquarters/

    Got an email today that Harris and ? campaign signs are available for pre-order, shipping Sept. 5.

  86. 86.

    lowtechcyclist

    Or, at the very least, it will keep us all saner over the coming hectic months.

    Stay sane inside insanity.

  88. 88.

    Suzanne

    LAAAAAAAAWL.

    “If we can get our personality problems fixed, we’ll win this election.”

    If is doing some heavy lifting there, Lindsey!!!

  89. 89.

    different-church-lady

    All negativity towards other Dems, all motivation to be the “most right,” the “knowiest of all,” etc, throw that all out the window.

    NARRATOR: “They did not throw all that out the window
”

  91. 91.

    Jeffro

    @TBone:

    WaPo re: VP’s VP: “The timing of the announcement of Vice President Harris’s running mate remains unknown. However, she is scheduled to deliver remarks at a campaign event in Philadelphia at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time, according to her office. Second gentleman Doug Emhoff is slated to attend.”

    SO EXCITED!  GO BLUE!!!

  92. 92.

    Geminid

    @Betty Cracker: Yeah, Jacobs is being prescriptive here, and not just analytical which is her strong point. Tom Watson has been doing the same in this area, discouraging intra-party controversies.

    I think Watson and Jacobs are both right and wrong here. This may result from the tumultuous weeks past; Democrats in general have been overdoing things good and bad lately.

    Regarding “cringe”: I was checking out Turkish Twitter a few days ago and encountered the word in a post. I hit Translate, and sure enough “cringe” translated to cringe. I had seen from Turkish “sosyal medya”  that Turks borrow English words liberally, but I wasn’t sure if cringe had a Turkish meaning of its own.

  93. 93.

    MomSense

    @oldster:

    There is an old video called something like Instagram Husband and it used to be available on YouTube.  Seeing what it takes to provide that curated life will explain over curated to you.

    The overly curated is one of the aspects that can make social media so destructive to self esteem for teens.  They use filters and edits and lighting etc to create an unrealistic view of what beauty, popularity, etc should be.

  95. 95.

    Baud

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    I hate to defend them, but that’s misleading. Alito and Thomas would have denied Missouri relief, but under a different procedural mechanism than the majority used.

  99. 99.

    Ken

    @OzarkHillbilly: Such wonderful concern for the voters from the Missouri AG. You’d hardly believe this is the same guy who’s working hard to keep the voter-initiated reproductive freedom and minimum wage measures off the ballot.

  103. 103.

    WereBear

    @Suzanne: I think every network has a personality and the Zitter operates is repulsive.

    Now that there is competition, and the way Elon dares anyone to actually stop him, I’m glad many people are trying out competitors.

    I hear there’s lots of cat people on Bluesky, for instance. That would be one I would add, but I’m also studying Youtube.

  104. 104.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Ken: If he so desperately wants to defend trump in court, he should resign from the AG’s office and go to work directly for trump. Of course, he wouldn’t actually get paid for that work.

  105. 105.

    catclub

    The Japanese stock market closed on monday 12% lower than the previous day. That wiped out all of its gains for the year, and more. Today it bounces up by 9 or 10%.  wow.

    I suspect a lot of computer trading going way too fast.

  108. 108.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @Suzanne: Lindsey? As in Lindsey Graham?

    There are not enough therapists nor is there enough time in the world to solve Republicans’ personality problems.

  109. 109.

    Baud

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    Yeah, I don’t fault you.  Those two haven’t earned a presumption of good faith, but the fact is, they didn’t overtly defend Missouri here.

  113. 113.

    kalakal

    UK knuckle draggers proving that they can give MAGA wingnuts a run for their money in the race to peak stupidity

    Here’s a bunch of potential Nobel Laureates from the EDL (English Defence League). The last comment is very possibly the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard

    The brightest and best

  114. 114.

    Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony

    @Suzanne: That space is respectful argument. I would love to see more of that, rather than what I’ve seen lately. Instead, you have had people making personal attacks or taking every disagreement as a personal attack. You’ve got the folks who CAN NOT let go, who persist and persist in pushing the same arguments over and over long past the point people have stopped responding. You’ve got the conspiracy minded folks who are certain no one but themselves is operating in good faith. Then they all start amping each other up to escalating ugliness. It’s ridiculous. For crying out loud, more of you need to get off the internet and take a d*mn walk or something. Every single thing people have savaged each other over have been things we literally have ZERO impact on. All this anxious negative raging energy would be better directed at the as*h*le MAGAts.

  117. 117.

    Soprano2

    @MomSense: Kevin Kruse came back to Twitter for a minute, said “This place is a Nazi bar now, you should leave”, then left again. He’s not wrong.

  118. 118.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Baud: ​I don’t fault you.
     

    I did not take it that way, just wanted to clarify that it was a direct quote for those who did not feel like clicking on the link. Your elaboration is most welcomed by me because they whiffed on that pitch.

  119. 119.

    Kay

    @Suzanne:

    Agree. What makes the original content pro- Harris stuff compelling is its original, like Dark Brandon was original.
    I’m not sure turning everyone on social media into an unpaid political operative will go the way we want it to go.
    Democratic disagreements can be divisive but constant, heavy handed tone policing is really tiresome too.

  121. 121.

    Soprano2

    @OzarkHillbilly: Does he actually do anything for the citizens of this state, or does he just file performative lawsuits and try to control the government of St. Louis?

  122. 122.

    Matt McIrvin

    I do think I need to do some (at least temporary) tuning out of lefties who mostly piss into the tent, even when I think of them as basically thoughtful people who raise legitimate issues with liberalism. Because that stuff drives me out of my mind during a high-stakes political campaign.

    It seemed like there was a temporary and glorious abatement of it the moment Biden dropped out and Harris stepped in, but now they’re revving it back up for the VP pick, and I can already tell that some of them are going to be pissed off and going for Harris no matter who it is.

    I can’t productively argue with those people. I *can*, I think, productively engage with moderate white liberals who get bothered by some of the sharper-elbowed tactics like calling Trump and Vance “weird”.

  123. 123.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Matt McIrvin:

    I *can*, I think, productively engage with moderate white liberals who get bothered by some of the sharper-elbowed tactics like calling Trump and Vance “weird”.

    Yeah, I’d go more with “creepy” and “bizarre.” ;-)

  124. 124.

    Kay

    @Soprano2:

    There can be heated and principled disagreements without the world ending.

    We just had one that turned out quite well for Dems political position.
    Making this the goal is going to require a lot of policing and creating  in- group Dems and out group Dems. I’m not on board for that. I think it can be as divisive as any straightforward disagreement or conflict.

  125. 125.

    Geminid

     

     

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage: Those course reviews are from 2010. If Jacobs stayed in Athens very long she could have crossed paths with Rachel Bitecofer, who earned her PhD at the U. of Georgia in 2014. That might have been an interesting encounter.

  128. 128.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @lowtechcyclist: Narcissist, con artist, masher, rapist,…

    In fact, let’s invert this, as test to “are these attacks unfair”. What Trump’s good qualities, like how McCain was personally brave and Romney was a good administrator, for a Trump, I honestly have nothing.

  129. 129.

    Suzanne

    @Soprano2: But there’s ways to have open discussions and disagreements without being in perfect curated agreement all the time. What she’s proposing sounds suspiciously like PR and brand management. And that’s proper for campaigns and operatives. But I would argue that that shouldn’t be an expected code of behavior for regular Dem voters in their normal lives. I would go further and say that it is inching toward dangerous to be encouraging people to think of themselves as conduits of a prescribed message.

    It’s the kind of thing Republicans and authoritarians do. If I wanted to be that, I would be.

    Like MomSense said above, we’re just talking to one another here, and the vast majority of commenters here are good people. Even the ones I think can be assholes are probably good people.

  131. 131.

    Suzanne

    @Matt McIrvin:

    I do think I need to do some (at least temporary) tuning out of lefties who mostly piss into the tent, even when I think of them as basically thoughtful people who raise legitimate issues with liberalism. Because that stuff drives me out of my mind during a high-stakes political campaign. 

    I think this is the better way to go: manage oneself and the content you consume, rather than creating a norm that prescribes to others what they should create.

  132. 132.

    Kay

    The most effective social media content is organically created positive content that campaigns amplify. It almost never works the other way. The people creating this stuff are genuinely good – it’s original and either compelling or fun to watch. Not everyone can do it.

  135. 135.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Soprano2: Don’t forget he’s also suing KC, and violated the Code of Ethics by talking to one of the defendants with out her lawyers being present. He’s the biggest clown to sit in the AG’s office since Eric Schmitt, who was the biggest clown since Josh Hawley who…..

    Wait a minute, I’m sensing a pattern here.

  136. 136.

    Scout211

    A source familiar with the process tells NBCNews that as of last night, Harris had not made a final decision — that she wanted to sleep on it for one last night.

    This source says the Harris campaign has printed signage with Harris’ name on top and multiple different possible running mates’ names beneath it so they are prepared for whatever decision she makes.

    Speaking of managing the message. LOL.

    I don’t believe this for one second.  I think the choice has been made, signed, sealed and delivered.  But it’s so good to see how well the Harris team manages the media and doesn’t leak to them.

    And it’s blog favorite, Walz!

  137. 137.

    Soprano2

    @Kay: I agree, but when you’re firing real bullets at your friends it’s bad. I saw some things in this forum that alarmed and disappointed me. I think it was because of the fear of TCFG getting reelected and the uncertainty of every option. There was no choice that was certain to mean victory, and the stakes are extremely high for many of us, so that leads to extreme fear and the resulting anger and viciousness. I’m terrified, yet I know I’ll be ok even if TCFG gets in. I’m afraid for everyone who won’t be OK.

  140. 140.

    Kay

    I think this goes back to attributing the 2016 loss entirely to dissident Lefties, which I don’t think is true so I don’t buy the basic premise.
    I can assure you that my county in Ohio did not go from 40% Obama in ‘12 to 25% Clinton in ‘16 because voters were upset about Bernie Sanders

    We lost Right leaning Dems in Ohio. By a lot.

  142. 142.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Kay: But primary time is over now, and even in 2008, the Hillary dead-enders who would not support Obama in the general election (“PUMAs”) were rightly derided as clowns (some of them turned into the same people attacking Hillary Clinton in 2016, a phenomenon I found fascinating–it was as if bashing Democrats from a contrarian-left position was their actual central mission, not supporting one candidate over another).

    In 2016, the inability of many of Clinton’s primary non-supporters to give it up for the general election campaign was a real problem. The “rigged primary” rumors helped feed Trump’s conspiracy-theorizing too.

  144. 144.

    Kay

    @Soprano2:

    I’ve been on this blog a long time. It’s just not true that the Biden Stay or Go was more divisive than 5 or 6 other divisive issues. Hillary v Obama was crazy divisive – 2 term Obama.
    Stay or go? Divisive! Ended with Harris up 4 nationally. Not a bad result.

  145. 145.

    Another Scott

    Aaron Fritschner
    @Fritschner
    15h

    Does this guy really have nothing else to do

    [ image – LaCivita – it will NOT be Shapiro!!!11ONE ]

    [ image – LaCivita – it WILL be Shapiro!!!11ONE ]

    Aug 5, 2024 · 9:58 PM UTC

    đŸ€Ą

    The only thing I am leaning toward is the on-the-record admonition a few days ago not to read anything into the event being in Philly, so I ass-u-me that it is less likely to be Shapiro than someone else.

    We’ll see soon enough.

    Forward!!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  147. 147.

    schrodingers_cat

    Magi Jay is a good follow on Twitter. I already do many of the things she suggests.

    Despite Musk’s shenanigans Twitter remains important because most of the newsmedia and newsmakers are on it. Social media and legacy media are not two entirely separate things, the media borg we encounter is made up of both.

    News gathering and grassroots reporting is what is most important. Opinions are a dime a dozen. My media consumption is heavily tilted towards getting news from the horse’s mouth and from grass roots reporters.

    YouTube is still quite derivative. The opposition parties and non-BJP media in India weild YT far better than their American counterparts as far as I can see.

    People here complain about Twitter’s algorithm but YT algorithm is not that wonderful either. If I watch two songs from a Hindi movie, YT algorithm begins suggesting BJP propaganda channels to me. FWIW video is far more effective in radicalization than a mere tweet.

    And I continue to call it Twitter because Musk hates it. He gets pantsed on Twitter, everyday. You can control your feed, by muting and blocking. You can even mute words.

    This is a many front war. Because of who uses Twitter (newsmakers and those who cover them) it drives a lot of political discourse.

  148. 148.

    Kay

    I think Shapiro was the safer choice (PA) but I’m all in for Walz.

    good job VP Harris. Let’s go.

  151. 151.

    Kay

    @Soprano2:

    We had a 2 week discussion about VP and half the people on here were “we will lose if this continues”

    Its conflict avoidance to the extent that it makes political discussion impossible.

  152. 152.

    Kay

    @Matt McIrvin:

    I appreciate your saying that YOU have a low tolerance for it (absolutely valid) instead of trying to tell everyone around you how not to worry or upset you. Seems much more practical.

  153. 153.

    Geminid

    @Kay: I don’t buy the basic premise because Sanders’ 2016 supporters were not all lefties. His most vociferous supporters were very liberal and Sanders himself had a very liberal program, but I thought his supporters were a more disparate bunch. Most of them voted for Clinton despite reservations, but I suspect some of them contributed to the unusually large Libertarian vote that year.

  154. 154.

    Another Scott

    Walz is an excellent pick.  Relatable, excellent record, doesn’t endanger existing Democratic gains in his state, understands the zeitgeist of the important states in the midwest and plains states, and has an historic successor.

    Well done.

    Forward!!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  156. 156.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Kay: My thing is that I’m actively drawn to bad news, and I catastrophize. Sustained optimism makes me nervous after a while; I feel like someone is blowing smoke up my ass, or parroting press releases. Conflict and attacks from inside the house intuitively feel more honest and genuine.

    But I also am acutely aware that the things people say in public have an effect. So there’s a tension here that gets really bad at politically heated times.

  157. 157.

    UncleEbeneezer

    The things we say and write don’t exist in a vacuum.  They move others and have collective force.  We’ve seen what it looks like when we are all on the same positive page.  We’ve seen what it looks like when we aren’t.  Energy is infectious.  It can be used for good (recent days) or for ill (the last month).

    Coalitions win because a lot of good people are willing to put their gripes on hold when it’s time to get to work.  That’s not silencing, censorship or groupthink, it’s fucking teamwork and unity.  Being part of a team means putting your ego to the side and realizing you are just one minuscule piece of something much greater than you.

    A coalition that isn’t arguing is much harder to stop than one that is.  That’s why the GOP and Trump are panicking right now.  They know that when we are united, we will win.  We need to keep this energy until the election and try to replicate in the future.  It’s not easy to do, but positivity (like now and when Obama came up) works much better than the alternative.  And that is on all of us.

  158. 158.

    Kay

    @Geminid:

    So you think it was dissenters. I don’t.
    Attributing every loss to bad Democratic voters is nuts – you’ll end up Blue MAGA

    You just watched Harris jump past Trump after a divisive process yet STILL there’s no analysis of the candidate. Are all candidates exactly the same and somehow the electorate changed from June to July? That’s nuts. This is HARRIS. She’s responsible for her success. If she had tanked with the public all the tone policing in the world couldn’t save her. What this does is flatten everything so the candidate doesn’t matter – that’s just not true.

  159. 159.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Geminid: I noticed an odd strain then of lower-info people speaking of Bernie Sanders as more moderate than Hillary Clinton, even though he actively self-identified as a socialist. I assume they were seeing “old white guy” and keying on culture-war issues, which Sanders was really not keen on.

  160. 160.

    Another Scott

    @Baud: +1

    I’ve mostly stayed out of the discussion about the pick.  They all had their advantages – we’ve got a deep bench.

    It was fun seeing the pundits spin themselves silly trying to be first with some breaking news about who it was (and how self-important and plugged in they tried to show themselves to be – and a preview of the attempts to get leaks from her administration and shape the news coverage.  I’m sure she’s taking notes.).

    Eyes on the prizes.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  162. 162.

    Kay

    @Geminid:

    The tone police argument against discussion of the VP was “they are all exactly the same”

    Theyre not, or Harris could just put names in a hat to make it fair and not divisive

    its winners and losers. The thing is divisive by its nature.

  163. 163.

    Kay

    @Geminid:

    Rachel Bitcofoiner should explain attacking everyone on Twitter who disagreed with her about Biden as malicious actors if she wants to work in the field professionally. That requires an apology in her case – she makes her living at this. She has zero credibility with me until she does.

  164. 164.

    Another Scott

    @UncleEbeneezer: +1

    There’s discussing plusses and minuses and having  good-faith disagreements about policy.

    There’s “Corrupt!!” and Butter Emails and 192 stories about ooolllddd and foot Parkinson’s.

    They’re not the same.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  165. 165.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @Matt McIrvin:

    I do think I need to do some (at least temporary) tuning out of lefties who mostly piss into the tent,

    Do it.  Trust me, you won’t regret it.  I started doing that after 2016 to Bernie Bros and I have NEVER missed them. Now when they do somehow pop up or I’m forced to see their bullshit I quickly move away, block, whatever.  Their arguments are completely predictable, always have the same blindspots, same motivations and never teach me anything I already didn’t consider.  Plus, they are insufferable.  Removing them from my social sphere (I may still be friends with some, just not talk politics with them) was just as beneficial as excising MAGA people.

  166. 166.

    Geminid

    @Kay: I am not ralking about “bad Democratic voters” here. A lot of these people were Independents loosely affiliated with the Democratic Party. I think many were driven by anti-establishment thinking, and I suspect this was compounded by misogyny. It was easy for these men– and I bet they were mostly men– to switch from Sanders to Johnson.

    But like I said, a large majority of Sanders voters voted for Clinton that year, so I am not saying “bad Democrats” were the problem in 2016.

  167. 167.

    Geminid

    @Kay: I never made that argument regarding the VP search, so I’m not sure why you are telling me this.

  168. 168.

    Omnes Omnibus

    FFS Jacobs is not talking about burying your authentic self who normally manifests on Twitter.  She is talking about ways to use to social media to help Harris and hurt Trump.  If you don’t want to do that, don’t.  If you do, she has suggested some ways to do that.

  169. 169.

    Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony

    @Kay:

    Its conflict avoidance to the extent that it makes political discussion impossible.

    I don’t agree. I think you can have respectful argument where people make their points and at some point just agree to disagree. That is productive and not what we’ve been doing in this space for sure. Exactly what is the value of endlessly repeating the same arguments over and over again with escalating rancor? Its ugly, harmful, and utterly pointless. In real life spaces, you tell people to separate and STFU at a certain point until they can get over themselves and behave like decent people.

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