Grassroots Democrats Use Social Media Activism To Fight Against Russian Troll Bots!
In 2016 Russian trolls flooded social media with disinformation supporting Trump and trashing Clinton. In 2020, grassroots Democratic activists are fighting back!
After Trump’s election in 2016, Democrats realized that action needed to be taken to combat the Russian Pro-Trump Bots provocateurs. Russian trolls famously flooded social media with lies and disinformation supporting Trump while trashing Clinton. Robert Mueller’s investigators described it as a “multi-million dollar plot involving years of planning, hundreds of people, and a wave of fake accounts posting news and ads on platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Google-owned YouTube.”
During the 2016 election, Russian-backed trolls supported Trump by creating division between Bernie Saunders and Hillary Clinton supporters.
Twitter, Facebook and YouTube provide a public space where people can meet, organize and express their opinions without being filtered by Main Stream Media (MSM) or the powerful elite.
Social Media Activism Works!
Social Media activism has been demonstrated as very effective. Examples of effective Social Media activism include movements like the #BlackLivesMatter, #TakeAKnee, #WomensMarch, and #Metoo. All have influenced public opinion and policies.
According to Pew Research Center (in regard to social media sites), the majority of Americans “do believe these sites are very or somewhat important for accomplishing a range of political goals.”
With U.S. elections coming up on November 3 of this year, grassroots Democrats have organized to combat the Russian-backed trolls with the truth. Groups like #WeThePeople, #wtpSenate, #BeTheChange4USA, and #OneVoice1 are taking on Russian troll bots one post at a time.
Democratic Activists Share Their Insights!
@JennoBenno of #wtpSenate: “The hardest thing for me to accept in Trumpian times is that my government doesn’t represent me. Trump and his Republican buddies don’t attempt to try. In fact, given the opportunity, they will mock my liberalism, call it dangerous, lie about me and cast aspersions on my character by the mere fact that I’m a Democrat. Nothing is a given. Not defeating Trump. Not holding the House. Certainly not Flipping the Senate Blue. But Trump and the current iteration of the Republican Party endangers our reputation, our economy and now our very lives with their incompetence. Doing nothing isn’t an option. As I said above, this feels very personal, and I feel a very personal responsibility to do my best to turn my government into one that is more representative of me and tens of millions like me. That’s why I joined #wtp2020 last year. It was a group of like-minded people. A place to vent. And a way to do something other than yell obscenities at the television news. When I was asked to create the Flip the Senate Blue project for #wtpSenate in February, I said yes. Because that’s what you do when you believe in something. You work for it!”
@BLUE_W0LVERINE of #wtp2020: “I wasn't even very political. But the Tea Party and its dysfunction put us so far behind being able to deal with modern issues. And the rise of 45 and all his atrocities was way too far for any decent person to stand aside. We cannot afford to go backward anymore.”
@Vegix of #BeTheChange4USA and #OneVoice1: “My involvement with social media outreach was inspired by seeing the ability to touch the lives of so many people and, with any luck, help to motivate them to become impassioned about the issues. This election is the most important our country has had in its modern history, if not its entire history. Motivating eligible non-voters to get out to the polls is a pivotal strategy to win, as is helping to inform the general public about what's happening inside this administration on a day-to-day basis. I think that social media plays a crucial role, especially now during COVID-19 when boots on the ground grassroots activism is on hold. I feel that if we can even motivate 5-10% of the non-voting population, that the democrats can sweep the White House, Senate, strengthen their majority in the House as well as take back seats on the local and state level that are of high importance. Every voice matters, just like every vote matters, so the more we can do online to help galvanize a democratic sweep, the more we may see turnout improve—and motivation of the otherwise non-participating increase. After all, the largest eligible voting contingents are Gen-Z and millennial-aged voters, and they're also among those with the lowest turnout rates. In addition, they tend to be more plugged in to social media. So involvement on these platforms seems like a win/win for our country and for this election.”
@why_two_wit of #OneVoice1: “I belonged to several other groups where we were mostly asked to retweet what other people had written. About a dozen of us who were in a regular DM ‘for fun’ chat room started talking about creating our ideal space where we could focus on #GOTV2020 and Dem candidates, while having small spaces to also focus on the topics that were important to each of us. We created a zero drama place that was super chill — letting everyone have their own voice, while providing some structure, good graphics and whatever help we could give to lift each other up. I love this space we created. We’re not perfect, but we are pretty darned amazing!”
Get Involved Because The 2020 Election Is Critical!
This election is critical. The Supreme Court will become ultra-conservative affecting Healthcare, Student Loan Debt, Women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, and Equal rights for decades if Trump and McConnell are permitted to appoint the next Justice.
Democratic Strategist James Carville stated in a recent Think Op-ed that “Trump poll numbers look good for Biden. But Republicans can still win in 2020—if they cheat.”
With Social Distancing due to Covid19 in place, Social Media Activism has become even more important. Get involved and make your voice heard today!