Now, in this 2018-midterm election season, as some predict a blue wave of resistance to Trump, his policies and alarming authoritarianism, Republicans want to split up the Democratic political opposition and divide black and Latino voters. And Russia looks like it wants to help here, too. But this time it won’t work.
The most recent example of this strategy is the #WalkAway hashtag, which is presented as a grassroots effort by former Democrats who are critical of the party’s alleged intimidation, confrontation and lack of civility and want people to walk away from the party.
However, #WalkAway has also now been connected to Kremlin-linked Russian bots, and it is now the seventh most popular Russia-influenced hashtag as of this writing, according to the website Hamilton 68, which tracks Russian influence on Twitter as part of the Alliance for Securing Democracy, an initiative of the nonpartisan German Marshall Fund. The purpose of this now-astroturf campaign is to manipulate public opinion by creating the illusion that this is a popular movement. In reality, #WalkAway has become pure propaganda, a psychological operation.
We’ll see, won’t we?
The best judge is the outcome of the election, no?
Well, according to the left, no, no it isn’t.
Nothing is legit until the left wins.
Pretty Damn sure my cat said “Nyet” this morning. Russian influence?
Defense mechanisms are a way of life for weak people/organizations. That’s the way they operate.
CNN are the lyingest sons of bitches yet!
#WalkAway is a creation all credited to the left. The Republicans had nothing to do with it, other than stay rational.
CNN opinion, you have got to be kidding. Who among us would ever believe a CNN opinion again?
It seems to me that if Russia were serious about harming the U.S. directly or indirectly via politics it would be a much more effective strategy to enlist the useful idiots in the U.S. and find ways to usher in complete progressive control. Any real or perceived harm to a democrat candidate or the democrat voter base is Making America Great. Steering a progressive off his plantation is not in the best interest of Russia.
Putin in his secret meetings with
the powers to be in Russia must be
laughing their asses off…
isn’t cnn a russian bot ?
#Runaway
More of these stories, please. The Walk Away types will get even madder. Midterms!
Go to YouTube and plug #WalkAway into the search bar.
They don’t look like Russian people to me.
What I think CNN is seeing, regarding meddling, is that Russian aggregators pickup on popular hashtags. These hashtags in turn provide hits associated with Russian URLs which boost their ranking and thereby their income. It’s not as nefarious as it sounds, because there is no political motivation, instead it is income motivation.
The #WalkAway hashtag is simply a rising star. Hackers are simply latching themselves to it for profit. This will happen to any rising hashtag, I’d like to see CNN claim there is no Russian interference in #MeToo
Latest Children’s Book:
“Everyone I Disagree With Is
Hitlera Russian Bot“A feminist a few blocks over from me slid out the door a little while ago. Got sick of the lies, the maniacal Trump bashing by the media and the countless BS protests.
The Russians are so busy with our politics. When do they have time for anything else?
I have nothing to do with it.
These Bots are made for walkin’?
I’ll see myself out…