(Thread) #BidensCognitiveDecline is a piece of propaganda intended to splinter the left
Recap:
Last week Trump lied about Joe Biden's cognitive abilities. He said, "There's something going on" and started listing instances in which Biden garbled words.
theguardian.com/us-news/2020/m…
Recap:
Last week Trump lied about Joe Biden's cognitive abilities. He said, "There's something going on" and started listing instances in which Biden garbled words.
theguardian.com/us-news/2020/m…
1/ On Saturday on Twitter, people started telling me that there was irrefutable evidence that Joe Biden was in cognitive decline. They told me that the evidence was apparent in Biden’s talk in Kansas City. So I found a local Kansas City news station which had a video of the talk.
2/ Next we learned that a list of Bernie Sanders Campaign talking points was (supposedly) distributed to his followers. The talking points included the statement that Joe Biden was in cognitive decline.
newsweek.com/bernie-sanders…
The Sanders campaign denied that it was theirs.
newsweek.com/bernie-sanders…
The Sanders campaign denied that it was theirs.
3/ Next we learned that Trump’s campaign dishonestly edited a clip late Saturday night, and a version was tweeted by White House social media director Dan Scavino.
The clip viewed was more than 5.8 million times and retweeted more than 34,000 times as of Sunday morning at 10 AM.
The clip viewed was more than 5.8 million times and retweeted more than 34,000 times as of Sunday morning at 10 AM.
4/ There was much reporting about the edited clip, who distributed it. Here's one example:
cnn.com/2020/03/08/pol…
Notice what a neat trick Trump pulled, and how efficient it was.
cnn.com/2020/03/08/pol…
Notice what a neat trick Trump pulled, and how efficient it was.
5/ Here is a sampling of the large accounts that spread the lie.
As everyone on Twitter knows, a great many Bernie Sanders followers jumped on the lie.
This continued after the information was released that videos were being doctored.
As everyone on Twitter knows, a great many Bernie Sanders followers jumped on the lie.
This continued after the information was released that videos were being doctored.
6/ Joe Biden has a stutter. Over the weekend a great many speech therapists jumped on to explain stutters, how difficult they are to work around, and how well Biden does managing his.
A part of Trump's trick was getting ordinarily compassionate people to mock a disability.
A part of Trump's trick was getting ordinarily compassionate people to mock a disability.
7/ I tried to warn people over the weekend that when Sanders supporters spread this lie, they were making Sanders look bad.
Many Biden's supporters have met him in person recently. People are with Biden all day. They know the truth.
Spreading this lie hurts Sanders.
Many Biden's supporters have met him in person recently. People are with Biden all day. They know the truth.
Spreading this lie hurts Sanders.
8/ There is no doubt about this ⤵️⤵️
Real people like Jill Stein continue to push this.
Now let's consider what Trump was able to do and accomplish with incredible efficiency.
Real people like Jill Stein continue to push this.
Now let's consider what Trump was able to do and accomplish with incredible efficiency.
9/ Trump spread a lie. He made it sound like it was coming from Team Sanders. Sanders supporters take the bait and spread the lie. Bots push the hashtag.
Trump managed to:
🔹Spread the lie about Biden
🔹Make Sanders supporters look bad
🔹Get Democrats fighting each other
Trump managed to:
🔹Spread the lie about Biden
🔹Make Sanders supporters look bad
🔹Get Democrats fighting each other
10/ win-win-win. Trump wins. Everyone else loses. He did this by simply editing a video and launching a whisper campaign.
Let's consider how clever this lie is.
People who hear it feel a nagging doubt. (I went and listened to the full Kansas City talk). . .
Let's consider how clever this lie is.
People who hear it feel a nagging doubt. (I went and listened to the full Kansas City talk). . .
11/ Any slight misstep, any ripple in Biden's ordinarily calm surface, any evidence of stutter will cause people to think "but. . ."
This is what the GOP did with "her emails."
There as no crime. There was nothing wrong. But when you repeat something often enough, people wonder.
This is what the GOP did with "her emails."
There as no crime. There was nothing wrong. But when you repeat something often enough, people wonder.
12/ Consider how easy it was: Doctor a video, tweet it out, and watch it go viral.
People worry about lots of things on Twitter. They worry about hackers flipping votes. They worry about Trump cancelling the election. They worry about Trump refusing to concede power if he loses.
People worry about lots of things on Twitter. They worry about hackers flipping votes. They worry about Trump cancelling the election. They worry about Trump refusing to concede power if he loses.
13/ Meanwhile, the real worry is right here before our eyes and people fall for it.
On line disinformation campaigns are dangerous and efficient.
If you don't want Biden to be the nominee, talks about the virtues of other candidates. Don't spread this crap.
Do this right.
On line disinformation campaigns are dangerous and efficient.
If you don't want Biden to be the nominee, talks about the virtues of other candidates. Don't spread this crap.
Do this right.
14/ Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I rest my case ⤵️
Several people have asked why I am used a hashtag I dislike.
Jill Stein will continue pushing this hashtag.
Now, when people click on it, they'll see my explanation.
(Unfortunately I've also attracted lots of crazy, but my intent was to provide information.)
Jill Stein will continue pushing this hashtag.
Now, when people click on it, they'll see my explanation.
(Unfortunately I've also attracted lots of crazy, but my intent was to provide information.)
I hope we're wiser this time.
There are important things to discuss in this primary, which can't happen if we're combatting disinformation.
We need to be better than slander and lies.
There are important things to discuss in this primary, which can't happen if we're combatting disinformation.
We need to be better than slander and lies.
Here is this thread as a blog post: terikanefield-blog.com/disinformation…
