By Grabthar’s Hammer,I will not allow this blog to become a cog in a Russian machine designed to divide, disrupt and disempower the Democratic Party. Support your candidate, make your case and vow to not be a Russian patsy.
As the pool of candidates vying for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president continues to grow, so does a “sustained and ongoing” push to spread lies about them on social media—with one key aim being to sow division among progressive voters—according to an alarming Politico report published Wednesday.
Citing analyses by and conversations with data scientists and digital campaign strategists, the outlet reported:
Researchers and others interviewed for this story say they cannot conclusively point to the actors behind the coordinated activity. It’s unclear if they are rogue hackers, political activists or, as some contend, foreign state actors such as Russia, since it bears the hallmarks of past foreign attacks. One of the objectives of the activity, they say, is to divide the left by making the Democratic presidential primary as chaotic and toxic as possible.
Research by the pro-democracy tech firm Guardians.ai found that Sens. Kamala Harris(D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) as well as former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas)—who has not formally announced his candidacy for president—appear to be the top targets.