Categories Politics
Fantastic analysis of today\u2019s \u2066@CDU\u2069 leadership election and Germany\u2019s September federal election by \u2066@JeremyCliffe\u2069. https://t.co/xOuB4FpTXu
— Stewart McDonald MP (@StewartMcDonald) January 16, 2021
First up is Armin Laschet, the continuity candidate. Key messages: US example of dangers of polarisation; CDU can't take "Merkel voters" for granted; change requires experience, trust and teamwork rather than just big ideas; namecheck for his more-popular running mate Jens Spahn.
Verdict: not a bad speech tbh, nicely organised around theme of trust and teamwork that marked his father's work as a miner; the warning about the dangers of polarisation captured Laschet's own strengths and the risk of electing Merz
Next up is Friedrich Merz, the right-wing veteran. Climate change, digitisation, ideas blah-blah [aka I'm not a blast from the past]; don't fear the future; "consensus and compromise" require more contest; CDU must return to the "real centre"; no left-wing majority in Germany.
Verdict: weak, weak, weak. No organising theme, no coherence, just buzzwords over substance. And coming from Merz, the (genuinely valid) case for more robust political debate in Germany just comes across as cynical and reactionary.
This is one of the starkest and clearest misinformation paths I've seen lately. And I can't stress this enough, this path is VERY well-known among misinformation reporters & researchers.
It started with tweets from folks like Pam Bondi & Rudy Giuliani that Real Clear Politics had "rescinded" its call that PA went to Biden. That was picked up and repeated verbally in a YouTube video. Then the YouTube video was shared in private FB groups
The YouTube video! Is on a verified account! Running ADS! And it gained nearly 900,000 views in just 12 hours, largely because of shares on Facebook. YT says this doesn't violate its rules 🤯 https://t.co/04METfLeOq
MEANWHILE ON FACEBOOK—a CrowdTangle search shows most of this activity is in PRIVATE FB groups, beyond what researchers and journalists can see.
Only 2.5 percent of FB activity—likes, shares, comments—is visible on public FB. I truly am *losing my mind* https://t.co/04METfLeOq
Daryl sounded the alarm back in 2009. His report was politicized by the GOP. He warned that white supremacy was on the rise.
He knows of what he speaks.
I strongly advise reading Hateland by Daryl Johnson & Breaking Hate by @cpicciolini to understand
https://t.co/KxKMWmYzH9
\u201can economic catastrophe negatively affects resistance to radicalization on a massive scale.\u201d
— \u029f\u1d1c\u029f\u1d1c \u029f\u1d07 \u1d0d\u1d07\u1d21 \u1555( \u0361 \u0361\xb0\u2038\u21bc\u2036)\u1557 (@LuluLemew) May 30, 2020
\u2014 Hateland
https://t.co/gH4G1KwcwV
\U0001f4cd\u201d...a catastrophe that destroys families and careers while frequently leaving people angry, confused, despondent, and aggrieved will certainly increase the overall chances of radicalization across a whole population or country.\u201d
— \u029f\u1d1c\u029f\u1d1c \u029f\u1d07 \u1d0d\u1d07\u1d21 \u1555( \u0361 \u0361\xb0\u2038\u21bc\u2036)\u1557 (@LuluLemew) May 30, 2020
https://t.co/zH1lgd7kTh
External economic factors influenced internal psychological processes of radicalization, eroding personal inhibitors on a massive scale.
— \u029f\u1d1c\u029f\u1d1c \u029f\u1d07 \u1d0d\u1d07\u1d21 \u1555( \u0361 \u0361\xb0\u2038\u21bc\u2036)\u1557 (@LuluLemew) May 30, 2020
Though ..not the only factor.. economic devastation of the farm crisis sowed seeds of rage that blossomed in the early 1990s.
\u2014 Hateland
...Some of the Extremely Online Left in the US has deluded itself into thinking that the far right insurgency is a bluecollar movement (a bit like how both Blue Labour centrists and the Trot/Stalinist left in the UK persuaded itself Brexit is a working class victory)...
(of course, we know now the 6 January rioters were CEOs, lawyers, cops and whitecollar GOP activists https://t.co/vNW2JLzrye HT @FFRAFAction )
Illinois has no place to go. Sad, isn\u2019t it? Vote Trump!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2020
First thing's first, enjoy a Chicago classic at the one and only @TheWienerCircle. They have real hot dogs and real talk — all for the price of one.
Take the test @TheWienerCircle #CognitiveDecline #CognitiveTest #trump pic.twitter.com/CR5wX5ZJI2
— The Wieners Circle (@TheWienerCircle) July 23, 2020
If you want to get out of town, take the @Amtrak from Union Station all the way to Quincy, Alton or Carbondale. You might even run into @JoeBiden, who actually rides @Amtrak.
Things don’t seem to be going your way so you may need to scream into a canyon, Starved Rock State Park has more than 13 miles of trail that are open all year long. https://t.co/EaSIggAqjB
Looking for what real presidential leadership looks like? Visit our capital city of Springfield to see Honest Abe’s home, an adjective that will never be used to describe you.