Just curious...how many DU'ers think Dem political operatives post candidate messages?

[HardWorkingDem]

I'm kind of curious what other Du'ers think when it comes to specific campaigns posting messages here at DU. Do others think it happens a lot? Barely at all?

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. It happens

the problem is that you don't know if these are bona fide campaign workers or just fans

[tekisui]

2. Who are you working for?

:)

[Fredda Weinberg]

3. I welcome the attention. They read as well as post n/t

[Forkboy]

4. I don't care one way or the other.It's still just one opinion...

...and should be judged on the merits of the individual post in question.A paid poster would get no more or less attention than an unpaid one with me, so I don't worry about.

[pnwmom]

5. I think it happens, but I don't know how often.

It would be a logical thing for a campaign to do.

[babylonsister]

6. Are you one? nt

[The Magistrate]

7. Accusing Members Of This Forum Of Being Paid Operatives, Sir

Is viewed as violating the rules against accusing members of being disruptors or trolls, and post that contain such charges are accordingly removed.

People on a public board dedicated tro politics need to understand and accept that many other people do not and will not agree with their views, and that such disagreement is sincere, and rootd in the other person's own honest views, and desire to to express those views.

[HardWorkingDem]

11. Did I accuse anyone of anything? Wow...

Don't know if your reply was sarcasm or not, but I didn't accuse anyone of anything.

I'm just curious if other Du'ers think, say, Clinton campaigners or Obama campaigners come here and post messages on behalf of their campaign.

That's it.

[The Magistrate]

12. My Comment, Sir

Was a statement of the rules and policies of the board on the matter you raised. It comes up from time to time, and seldom goes on very long before people are making such charges by name, or by indirections that no sophisticated de-coder ring is needed to decipher. It seemed worth heading off at the pass....

[HardWorkingDem]

13. Maybe my OP was not clear and needs editing, however...

nowhere in it do I accuse, or try to appear to accuse other specific people of being 'disruptors' or whatever. What I was curious about is if other Du'ers think campaigns attempt to use this board to push a particular theme, thread or candidate as in a political operation.

I apologize for my apparent political naivety you appear to allude to by mention of no sophisticated de-coder ring is needed to decipher such threads.

[The Magistrate]

16. Again, Sir, the Reference Is From Bitter Experience

And is to the likely replies to a discussion of this topic, not to your post particularly, and is certainly not meant to impute naivite to you.

[cascadiance]

33. Saying a specific person is a paid troll is QUITE DIFFERENT than asking if these folks exist...

One is a specific attack on another DUer, that unless one has very good grounds for saying, is basically fuel for huge divisive flame wars, and is understandably discouraged and kept from happening. If one feels that a poster MIGHT be a paid troll or something of that nature, that is when private communications to mods, etc. is in order as a better way of dealing with that without creating divisive discussions.

The OP isn't attacking anyone specifically, but asking a VERY VALID general question on whether many posts of what we are getting now are being put on by paid political operatives. I suspect that many are too myself, but I'm not about to accuse someone of such unless I have a very good reason for knowing that to be the case. If one isn't allowed to ask questions like the OP made here, that is also enforcing denial of facts, which isn't what I believe to be a Democrat's inner nature, who's always looking for truth and integrity in their party's message. Or at least they should be in my book.

Now when we ask questions like this, one has to be very careful and say something like "Let's avoid bring up specific posters here, so as not to start any kind of flame wars that challenge the mods." or some sort of qualifier like that to avoid it degenerating into personal attacks.

[HardWorkingDem]

35. Exactly.....thank you...

You read my mind and intentions.

Thank you.

[emilyg]

8. Probably not many at all.

[illinoisprogressive]

9. I suspect but, cannot say for sure without some proof.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

10. Paid people? Highly doubful.. (Not worth it!)

But there have been instances where a lot of people register about the same time, posting the same talking points in response to an issue or development, so there are probably volunteer campaign internet boosters operating, at least to some slight degree, in cooperation.

Fair enough. Not a big deal.

[...of J.Temperance]

14. Yeah, actually I'm working for....wait for it.....

Dennis Kucinich....I'm SERIES!!!! HUGHLY SERIES!!!!

:P


Hey Mr. Magistrate upthread....I hope you don't delete my comment....sense of humor and whatnot....huh? :spank:

[madrchsod]

17. really ---dennis?

i thought you worked for obama...dam was i wrong again!

[...of J.Temperance]

20. Well, to be TOTALLY honest.....I'm working for

Dennis Kucinich AND Barack Obama....I'm what they call a Multi-Tasker! :smoke:

[Debi]

26. Way to work the system

until the next filing period when the campaings notice the double payments! :rofl:

[The Magistrate]

18. You May Accuse Yourself All You Want, Sir

No rule against that....

[...of J.Temperance]

19. Cool....I ain't a Sir though ;)

;-)

[Capn Sunshine]

15. From a factual standpoint

Each campaign employs various bloggers to get the message out, and THAT is what you frequently see at DU; the reaction to the message which is posted elsewhere by compensated individuals. On occasion, I am personally aware of paid staffers who post at DU, but they are not being PAID to post per se.

I think Magistrate will concur with this take, eh my good fellow?

[2rth2pwr]

21. I don't see how it would be worth the time

and money.

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[flpoljunkie]

24. "Just saying?"

This Obama supporter has been around here for over five years, and supported our last Democratic nominee, John Kerry, from the very beginning.

Why would you choose to confine your baseless allegations to Obama supporters?

The man, as I see him, is 'THE CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN."

[wyldwolf]

23. I'm a political mercenary

I do this for multiple candidates, on multiple message forums, across multiple dimensions and time periods. I'm paid well because interdimensional and time travel is expensive. I run a team called Wyldwolf Syndicate - there are 12 of us (you've probably wondered how "wyldwolf" can seemingly post on different forums on DU at the exact same moment.) We're handing out flyers for FDR this morning.

[Debi]

25. Even if they did - what if it was also their personal opinion - wouldn't they

just be advocating for their candidate?

[Solon]

27. Being a paid operative is hard work, that's all I can tell you....

Hillary owes me money dammit. x(

[rucky]

28. Of course they do.

It would be courteous if they disclose it, but it really doesn't matter much. You can tell when people come here with agendas - and so many are willing to push them for free. Who wouldn't want to get paid to post on DU?

[mitchum]

29. Of course there are $hills here

[NMMNG]

30. All of The Gays work for Hillary

Or so I've been told. :shrug:

[JNelson6563]

31. No, the beauty of zealots

is that they are so dedicated to their cause no compensation is necessary.

Frankly I get a kick out of the different styles of zealotry we see here at DU. I think the OCD ones are the most amusing....I can almost picture 'em sometimes.....post, post, post, check the stove, post, post, post, check the stove....you get the idea.

Julie

[Adelante]

32. I don't like to think about it

The reason is I see an atmosphere of suspicion and accusation created by such thoughts as far more threatening to the good health of DU. I take each poster as they come. I've put perfectly nice DUers on Ignore for posting nothing but puffery, but that's because I get bored with seeing it. Whether those posters are paid or not, I don't know and prefer not to speculate about.

[NoPasaran]

34. I doubt it

If candidates really are paying people to post on their behalf, they're getting robbed!

[cascadiance]

36. I guess I get bugged is when they get "merged in" with the rest of our passionate voices here...

I think most DUers here are here because they really have passionate feelings about what our country is doing and who is best able to fix these problems, etc. and what to do about them.

What bothers me about paid operatives (if they are coming here) who in effect "masquerade" as other passionate posters like us but in fact care more that they are getting paid to do so than any real deep concern over issues that are being discussed here. When they post here more as a means to "win a football game" rather than trying to raise concerns about what they feel like we do, it makes it hard for us to have decent discussions if not everyone is really pushing for solutions based on their beliefs and some are here just to push a paid agenda.

It would be nice if those are here that are being paid would acknowledge that they are. Then it puts their comments in the proper perspective, and we can challenge what they are saying and not feel as if we are challenging them personally, but what the campaign is advocating they say.

That is not to say that some of these paid operatives don't believe in the messages that they are paid to echo here. I'm sure many do, and that is why they are working on such campaigns, but it is still helpful to know when there's more than one's own passion/sensibilities that is guiding ones efforts to post here.

I'm not sure how you could set up some rules to help make this work better, but I think it would help a lot of DUers to know what they read here is from "paid operatives" and what isn't, and hopefully in a way that doesn't lead to flame wars, etc. too against individuals. I think how we can achieve this is something worth discussing in an abstract sense (not personal).