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Twitter Deletes Over 10,000 Bots That Discouraged US Midterm Voting (cnn.com)

Twitter has deleted over 10,000 disinformation bots discouraging Americans from voting in Tuesday's midterm elections.

An anonymous reader quotes CNN: Twitter said that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had brought the accounts to their attention. "For the election this year we have established open lines of communication and direct, easy escalation paths for state election officials, DHS, and campaign organizations from both major parties," the spokesperson said. The company said it believes the network of accounts was run from the United States.
The 10,000 accounts were deleted in late September and early October, Reuters reports: The number is modest, considering that Twitter has previously deleted millions of accounts it determined were responsible for spreading misinformation in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Yet the removals represent an early win for a fledgling effort... The DCCC launched the effort this year in response to the party's inability to respond to millions of accounts on Twitter and other social media platforms that spread negative and false information about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and other party candidates in 2016, three people familiar with the operation told Reuters... The DCCC developed its own system for identifying and reporting malicious automated accounts on social media, according to the three party sources.

177 comments

  1. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Everybody owes me a platform, waaah waaaah waaaah!

    Signed,
    The Party of Personal Responsibility

  2. But... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All of Twitter users are bots that spout the same useless information they seem to have been preprogrammed to spout.

    1. Re: But... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, even twitter itself is a problem- in the middle of my feed today, apparently from Twitter itself: "2 Days until Election Day in the U.S."

      I saw that at 5PM CDT Saturday. When even a child could tell you it's THREE days until Tuesday.

  3. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Everybody owes me healthcare/college/housing... whoops... wait, wrong side ;D

  4. Follow the phone trail. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Since Twitter now needs phone numbers as an anti bot measure, trace the companies giving out phone numbers to bots.

    1. Re:Follow the phone trail. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      https://smsreceivefree.com/ - services like this are all over. So unless Twitter has hooks into ALL those services and can detect and block them, it won't work too well.

    2. Re:Follow the phone trail. by tepples · · Score: 2

      There are already web services to block disposable email domains. How long before analogous services for SMS become commonplace?

    3. Re:Follow the phone trail. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is already the case: If you use one of the many free SMS services out there, you'll find that most, if not all, of those are blocked by Twitter to activate an account.

  5. "Misinformation" by Kunedog · · Score: 0, Troll

    The number is modest, considering that Twitter has previously deleted millions of accounts it determined were responsible for spreading misinformation in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

    You mean how Twitter admitted under oath to suppressing #DNCLeak during the election campaign?

    That was simply suppression of news that made Democrats look horrible, not misinformation.

    1. Re:"Misinformation" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry, but in all due respect, Breitbart.com is not a source that can or should be taken seriously. Just because something looks like a "news" site doesn't mean that it provides news.

    2. Re:"Misinformation" by Plus1Entropy · · Score: 3, Funny

      Posting the same reply I gave you last time you linked the same article, which you didn't answer. Presumably because you couldn't find a Breitbart article that had an answer and you're not capable of coming up with one by yourself.

      No, they admitted under oath that their automated system deleted 48% of the tweets. Breitbart didn't omit those details, why did you?

      Also, why continue to vote for the Republicans in charge of that committee who failed to do anything after Twitter admitted that? They don't advocate for you, so why do you still support them? They took the side of big business, as usual, yet I doubt you're gonna vote to remove any of them from office in 2 weeks, are yah?

      --
      Only crack the nuts that crack. You don't put the ones that don't crack in the sack.
    3. Re:"Misinformation" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Let me refute what you said : You're a nazi faggot of no value or consequence, obviously uneducated, and you will never matter. You're being replaced. Deal with it nazi snowflake faggots. You're done. Trump will hang.

    4. Re:"Misinformation" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Our automated system did it, not us!"
      "How did your automated system choose that hashtag to target?"
      "Well, we told it to."

      It's like Facebook, that claims their "automated system" is responsible for blocking anti-abortion ads - even after those ads have been reviewed by humans an reinstated. It's an excuse, not the truth. They are responsible for the design, creation, and exution of those "automated" decisions. They are just trying to shift responsibility.

  6. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Shut up and bake the cake!

  7. Shocking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    twatter is cesspool full of lies.

  8. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The party of "science is fake but QAnon is real" sure is in a great position to mock safe spaces, huh.

  9. Irrelevant by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Twitter is pointless. Stop wasting your time. Make up your own mind. Don't be programmed by others with an agenda and an axe to grind.

  10. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I agree. plenty of idiocy on both sides. Both are enemies of freedom.

  11. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Party of Personal Responsibility

    But NOT voting IS voting AGAINST voting...

    In my country Greece (yes, the birthplace of democracy...) i can think at least 2 groups of people that are ideologicaly against voting: most Anarchists, and some Christians - plus those who can't find someone worthy so they don't legalize with their vote anyone.

    i read this "[...] disinformation bots discouraging Americans from voting [...]" and i wonder if my comment is "disinformation"!?

  12. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The cake is a lie!

  13. What is Winter Sunlight? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    For this reason, God sends them a powerful delusion(operation of wandering)(planet) so that they will believe the lie.

  14. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    Interesting how I don't read too many stories about Republicans trying to register illegal aliens and dead people to vote yet every 2 years it happens in Chicago, California, Detroit. Legit question for you AC- are there any legit reasons to try to suppress voter fraud? And I mean the real fraud committed by people, not the mysterious claims of machines miscounting their votes.

  15. Not a bot. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But....I am a busy person. I have better things to do than make a microscopic drop-in-the-bucket contribution to a decision about which corrupt aristocrat betrays me.

    Maybe, once I am retired, and have nothing better to do than follow politics, and have a direct incentive to protect my medical benefits, social security payments, and property value, maybe then I will vote.

    Until then, the difference I make by voting (rounds down to zero) just isn't worth the effort it takes.

    Yes, I know "if everyone thought that way..." I KNOW. That doesn't change my incentives *at all*. And not everyone thinks that way, so the point is moot.

    1. Re:Not a bot. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Vote against the politician that want to get rid of social security...

    2. Re:Not a bot. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In theory, voting is the means by which the impoverished are ensured an amount of political power.

      In practice, voting is a popularity contest that panders to the lowest common denominator of the voting public. Candidates are not chosen based on their qualifications, but based on their charisma and their ability to appeal to human pettiness. The people doing the choosing, the voters, are themselves not qualified to assess the qualifications of their potential leaders. And yet they make the call...based on their own pettiness (in the majority of cases).

      The whole facade just serves to distract the masses from the simple fact that has always been true, is still true, and always will be true: power is held by the wealthy. If you want to attain some political power, attain some money. If you want to utilize your political power to accomplish a goal, use your money to fund a lobby. That is how politics actually works, and the rest is just smoke and mirrors.

  16. Re: Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There is no cake. It is only your mind.

  17. speaking of voter suppression by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The North Dakota Democratic Party posted a misleading ad on its website and on Facebook that suggests state residents should reconsider voting in this yearâ(TM)s election if they have hunting licenses in other states. âoeBy voting in North Dakota, you could forfeit your hunting licenses.â - posted on the Democratic partyâ(TM)s website this week.

    https://www.apnews.com/f547f02...

    The North Dakota Democraticâ"Nonpartisan League Party is running a Facebook ad in North Dakota that claims your hunting license is at risk. "Attention hunters: Voting in North Dakota could cost you your out-of-state hunting licenses," says the Facebook ad, which began running on Nov. 1.

    https://www.politifact.com/tru...

    The Facebook ad, paid by the North Dakota Democratic-NPL, warns North Dakota hunters that they may have to forfeit their out-of-state licenses if they vote in this election. âoeIf you want to keep your out-of-state hunting licenses, you may not want to vote in North Dakota,â the ad says, linking to a similar warning on the North Dakota Democratic-NPL website. âoeBy voting in North Dakota, you could forfeit your hunting licenses. You MUST be a resident of North Dakota to vote here. And if you are a resident of North Dakota, you may lose hunting licenses you have in other states,â the website said.

    https://www.foxnews.com/politi...

    1. Re:speaking of voter suppression by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ok, you have one example of one side discouraging voters.

      I counter with Kemp in Georgia, who removed the legal voting status of over 50,000 legal voters, all because they were black.

      Now you get to come up with 49,000 more examples :)

  18. Did they delete the USA Today's account? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    With a byline like If you have reservations, vote Democratic, vote third party, or stay home in the 2018 midterm elections , I would hope the USA Today twitter account was also deleted (not holding my breath).

    1. Re: Did they delete the USA Today's account? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Please do go ahead and choke yourself since you are confusing the messenger and the message.

      The problem is with the former, not the latter.

      Twitter doesn't care if individuals discourage voting. They do care about not systems.

    2. Re: Did they delete the USA Today's account? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Posted above but I want you to see it too:

      Well, even twitter itself is a problem- in the middle of my feed today, apparently from Twitter itself: "2 Days until Election Day in the U.S."
      I saw that at 5PM CDT Saturday. When even a child could tell you it's THREE days until Tuesday

  19. Re: Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Your claims are so false, it's actually more illustrative to link a Google search instead of any one Snopes page https://www.google.com/search?q=snopes+illegal+voting&oq=snopes+illegal+voting&aqs=chrome..69i57.6253j1j7&client=ms-unknown&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

  20. Phone numbers isn't about bots. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    It's about knowing who you are.

    The powers that be cannot abide anonymity.

    1. Re:Phone numbers isn't about bots. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Once upon a time, there was a saying about the Internet: On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog. Sometimes this was accompanied by a picture of a dog in front of a laptop and looking at the screen.

      Now, an anonymous person can be someone in Dearborn, Michigan or Dallas, Texas or Kroshechnygorod in Russia or Saghirat in Saudi Arabia. Each one could claim to be American and say anything, including stuff that is designed to cause mischief and strife. And, of course, the opposite can occur too.

      I guess the answer is: sorry humanity, you have abused the privilege.

    2. Re:Phone numbers isn't about bots. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So.....

      Muslim, Patriot, Russkie, Muslim?

      Damn, there's too many muzzies on that list!

    3. Re:Phone numbers isn't about bots. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Each one could claim to be American and say anything, including stuff that is designed to cause mischief and strife. And, of course, the opposite can occur too.

      I guess the answer is: sorry humanity, you have abused the privilege.

      Are you talking about privilege of being American? Or privilege of having more than one personas in internet?
      I am American when buying games on Steam (in XX USD instead of XX EUR),
      Russian when moving through Italy or Spain and Spanish when moving through the California streets ....
      Whatever brings more benefits ...

      The persona that I use at work is not persona used for family and friends and is quite different from persona that I am using for "special interests" - think four poster rosewood bed :-)

    4. Re:Phone numbers isn't about bots. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Once upon a time, there was a saying about the Internet: On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog. Sometimes this was accompanied by a picture of a dog in front of a laptop and looking at the screen.

      Now, an anonymous person can be someone in Dearborn, Michigan or Dallas, Texas or Kroshechnygorod in Russia or Saghirat in Saudi Arabia. Each one could claim to be American and say anything, including stuff that is designed to cause mischief and strife. And, of course, the opposite can occur too.

      I guess the answer is: sorry humanity, you have abused the privilege.

      Ironically if they wanted to get into our nation and cause havoc without going through immigration services or a border check-point, that would be okay. But posting on the internet? A BRIDGE TOO FAR!

  21. Interesting by reiterate · · Score: 1

    How many ESL AC posts about how voting is pointless are in this thread. I count 3 as of this post.

  22. Re: Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, duh, here's no voter fraud happening!

  23. Bullshit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This bots stuff is bullshit in all sides. If you are civic minded and have thought about the good of the community state and country then you donâ(TM)t need to be told to vote nor will bots detract you. If you donâ(TM)t follow public affairs in any way then itâ(TM)s probably best that you donâ(TM)t vote. If you want to vote, learn about the candidates and show up at the polling place. The bots are a pointless distraction.

  24. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Let's make sure those luxuries are only attainable by the wealthy elites the way Jesus wants it.

  25. Re:Democratic control by king+neckbeard · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The number of people on voter rolls doesn't change anything, and meatbag impersonation is ineffective and stupidly easy to catch, which is why it's so rare. There are TONS of ACTUAL problems with our electoral system, the chief of which is that we have a system that protects the two party system, but I haven't seen the GOP ever offer a solution to a problem that exists in the real world.

    --
    This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
  26. Re: Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Interesting how I don't read too many stories about Republicans trying to register illegal aliens and dead people to vote yet every 2 years it happens in Chicago, California, Detroit.

    Funny how you don't read stories like this one then.

    Meanwhile, your claims of dead people being registered to vote are as bogus as the claims about busloads of illegal voters.

    How do we know? Because we found out they lived.

    Legit question for you AC- are there any legit reasons to try to suppress voter fraud? And I mean the real fraud committed by people, not the mysterious claims of machines miscounting their votes.

    Flawed vote counting is actually a good concern. Why exclude it?

    But here's your problem. They aren't trying to suppress voter fraud. By their own documented admission, they are trying to gain partisan advantages by suppressing the actual voter participation.

    A common theme in American history. And all the false hysteria that are the mantra of the Kobach's and O'Keefe's of the world only further serves to weigh against the GOP.

  27. Nazi faggot KOONdawg whines about Dems, news@11 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "DEMOCRATS" didn't "suppress" TWITTER, you FUCKING NAZI MORON. TWITTER did. You're so stupid and loosely accusatory you could be the next Republican nominee.

    1. Re:Nazi faggot KOONdawg whines about Dems, news@11 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Twitter" and "Democrats" are now interchangeable terms, you ignorant profane buffoon.

    2. Re:Nazi faggot KOONdawg whines about Dems, news@11 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just like "Trumptard" and "Federal Corrections Prisoner" you treasonous nazi faggots. We're going to hang your retardo-Fuhrer. TRAITORS HANG, GOP FAGGOTS. Maybe you forgot. ROPE IS COMING.

    3. Re:Nazi faggot KOONdawg whines about Dems, news@11 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Look at all this recent shit with Jacob Wohl, it's like Trump supporters are physically incapable of NOT becoming felons. Sun rises and sets, tides wax and wane, Trump supporters get themselves locked in a federal pen. It's just nature doing its thing.

  28. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's even more interesting that you actually believe those stories, but then again you guys aren't exactly known for your critical thinking skills. It's not wholly your fault, mind, you're just another victim of your party's decades-long battle to neuter education in this country.

  29. Yet Trump Remains by BrendaEM · · Score: 0

    Trump has used Twitter to launch hundreds of hurtful attacks.

    Don't like it?
    Boycott Twitter, and Fox News.

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/c/BrendaEM
    1. Re:Yet Trump Remains by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can ignore Trump just fine. Trying to verify whatever he says is like finding patterns is a random number sequence.

      The problem is that he points out citizens as "enemies" and when you do that to an audience of millions there will always be a bunch of nutjobs that takes him seriously.
      It is a bit hard to ignore bullets fired at you.

    2. Re:Yet Trump Remains by mpercy · · Score: 2

      "The problem is that he points out citizens as "enemies" and when you do that to an audience of millions there will always be a bunch of nutjobs that takes him seriously."

      Meh. His former opponent--a politically savvy, well-connected, well-funded, and "the most qualified candidate ever" but who still lost to a political neophyte--called millions of people "deplorable" and compared members of a civil rights group to terrorists, and once told Anderson Cooper during a CNN interview that she considered members of the opposing party her enemies and that she was proud of that.

      But it was a follower of that nice but a little crazy white-haired man who wanted to give everyone free college who went and tried to assassinate as many members of Congress of the opposing party as he could.

      Yep nut jobs will be nut jobs, no matter what politicians say.

  30. There is a mountain of voter suppression by rsilvergun · · Score: 1, Informative

    going on this year. If you can't win, cheat. It works.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
    1. Re:There is a mountain of voter suppression by shanen · · Score: 2, Insightful

      going on this year. If you can't win, cheat. It works.

      Good election = good candidates

      Bad election = bad candidates (and may the lesser evil win)

      Worst election = bad candidate lies and "wins" by destroying the good candidate

      Character assassination should not be the best campaign strategy.

      Perhaps our best hope for democracy right now would be the hope that November 6th is actually a 3-way election between:

      (1) Democratic candidates who want government of the people, by the people, for the people

      (2) "Traditional" GOP candidates who want government of the corporations, by the lawyers, for the richest 0.1% and

      (3) Trump and his lackeys who merely want government of, by, and for the Donald

      Oh! Wait! There are no category (2) candidates left on the ballots so they can't divide any elections. So much for that hope.

      --
      Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
    2. Re:There is a mountain of voter suppression by fbobraga · · Score: 1

      If you can't win, cheat. It works.

      I've seen it here, in Brazil: countless disinformation campaigns (mostly via WhatsApp) leaded to Jair Bolsonaro election...

    3. Re: There is a mountain of voter suppression by astrofurter · · Score: 3

      "Democratic candidates who want government of the people, by the people, for the people"

      Whoa-ho hehehehehehe wee-hee haw haw hahahahaha! Oh my brother, that's a good one!

      I'm definitely going to vote for a populist Democrat - right after I buy a bicycle for my goldfish to ride.

    4. Re:There is a mountain of voter suppression by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      (1) Democratic candidates who want government of the people, by the people, for the people

      Naturalized and natural born Americans need not apply......

    5. Re: There is a mountain of voter suppression by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Democratic candidates who want government of the people, by the people, for the people"

      Whoa-ho hehehehehehe wee-hee haw haw hahahahaha! Oh my brother, that's a good one!

      I'm definitely going to vote for a populist Democrat - right after I buy a bicycle for my goldfish to ride.

      It is a good one. As one who grown up under ruling of "People's Democratic Republic of ..." I can say that it should be:
      (1) hereditary bureaucratic clique suppressing anything not already regulated by clique members.

    6. Re:There is a mountain of voter suppression by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah?
      Maybe people like Bolsonaro?
      And do not like communists?

    7. Re:There is a mountain of voter suppression by Mashiki · · Score: 1

      (1) Democratic candidates who want government of the people, by the people, for the people

      Uh sorry. That's one hell of a line of bullshit, especially after all those democrat candidates ran off to big business, hollywood and so on for funding and/or how to "make a message" for their campaigns. Tell me something, how the fuck does someone in Hollywood know the message you should be taking to a farmer in Iowa? Cause that's what the dems are doing.

      (2) "Traditional" GOP candidates who want government of the corporations, by the lawyers, for the richest 0.1% and

      So...basically the same thing as the democrats right? Except for the candidates that aren't getting traction from those previous sources that went running to the democrats....like big tech, wall street, medical companies. Hmm...isn't that strange, more GOPer money isn't coming out of "big business" in many cases.

      (3) Trump and his lackeys who merely want government of, by, and for the Donald

      Are you saying that less government and regulations are a bad thing?

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    8. Re:There is a mountain of voter suppression by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Brazil is a shithole... no comparison... go to your shithole ...

    9. Re:There is a mountain of voter suppression by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      how the fuck does someone in Hollywood know the message you should be taking to a farmer in Iowa?

      I'm guessing similar to how a reality tv star from New York know how to talk to them (and the coal miners, the poorly educated, 2nd amendment people, etc)?

      He's the same guy who had multiple wives but knew how to talk to religious Christians, apparently.

      So...basically the same thing as the democrats right?

      No, Cathy Newman.

      Are you saying that less government and regulations are a bad thing?

      Again, no, Cathy Newman.

    10. Re:There is a mountain of voter suppression by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are you saying that less government and regulations are a bad thing?

      We called it the Gilded Age, and anyone familiar with history would prefer not to return to it.

  31. Re: Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    by illegally bussing in voters to vote for them,

    Please cite which laws forbid bussing voters.

    by refusing simple voting integrity checks,

    Simple checks like the ones by Republicans that keep producing errors like being unable to tell that two different people are named James R. Smith?

    by refusing to allow the removal of illegal voters from the voting roles.

    You mean refusing the attempts that are flawed because they keep trying to remove actual legal voters who suddenly find themselves having to prove the government made a mistake?

  32. Side note by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    In the little over an hour since this story about trolls being removed from Twitter was posted, 34 of the 38 comments posted here were from anonymous cowards, and most of those were trolling, with comments like, "only n i g g e r s use Twitter" and "go choke yourself" and "it's an attack against conservatives" and how "the bots stuff is bullshit".

    I count five making the case for not voting and three others making the "both sides are trash" argument (which is also a case against voting).

    You don't have to go to Twitter to see this effect in action. The problem is, it's not working as well this time around.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
    1. Re:Side note by alvinrod · · Score: 1

      In the little over an hour since this story about trolls being removed from Twitter was posted, 34 of the 38 comments posted here were from anonymous cowards, and most of those were trolling, with comments like, "only n i g g e r s use Twitter" and "go choke yourself" and "it's an attack against conservatives" and how "the bots stuff is bullshit".

      To be fair, you could probably get something similar from most stories posted on Slashdot. I'm consistently amazed by the sheer amount of time that some people have to waste posting crap like that.

      On a side note, get out their and vote, even if you think it's a waste or that it doesn't matter. There's a mountain of corpses strewn across history that secured your right to do so, so you may as well enjoy it while it lasts. Even if you think both sides a trash, you can still write in "Caligula's Horse" or at least vote on local ballot measures. Better yet, get out and participate yourself. If Trump can be president, anyone can get elected as far as I'm concerned.

    2. Re:Side note by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the "both sides are trash" argument (which is also a case against voting).
       
      Only to the braindead. People willing to vote against both the Dumbocraps and Repukelican'ts have a hell of a lot more passion than the goose stepping morons who blindly vote the big party li(n)e.

    3. Re:Side note by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 03, 2018
      People willing to vote against both the Dumbocraps and Repukelican'ts have a hell of a lot more passion than the goose stepping morons who blindly vote the big party li(n)e.

      And...my point is made. The prosecution rests.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    4. Re:Side note by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In the little over an hour since this story about trolls being removed from Twitter was posted, 34 of the 38 comments posted here were from anonymous cowards, and most of those were trolling, with comments like, "only n i g g e r s use Twitter" and "go choke yourself" and "it's an attack against conservatives" and how "the bots stuff is bullshit".

      I count five making the case for not voting and three others making the "both sides are trash" argument (which is also a case against voting).

      You don't have to go to Twitter to see this effect in action. The problem is, it's not working as well this time around.

      Both sides are trash is only an argument against voting for the sides that are trash. The great irony of the modern American political system is that each inevitable Republican or Democratic victory is the result of winning a larger minority of the votes of eligible voters. If ALL those who COULD vote but do not ALL GOT TOGETHER and agreed on a candidate, and actually showed up and VOTED for that candidate, THAT candidate would win and all the crazy, stupid neocon Republican asshole candidates and all the corrupt, weak, useless, paid-to-fail, pro-corporate, pro-war, fake-environmentalist Democrat piece of shit neoliberal candidates, could all be sent home where they belong.

      Like Batman, I only have one rule, (when it comes to voting): if you take large donor, corporate money, or are supported by a PAC, SuperPAC, etc., which takes either corporate donations, as they call them, or large-donor money, which whatever the bullshit, pro-corruption/anti-democracy laws or rulings may say to the contrary, I consider to be BRIBERY , you are ineligible to receive my vote. Period.

    5. Re:Side note by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In the little over an hour since this story about trolls being removed from Twitter was posted, 34 of the 38 comments posted here were from anonymous cowards, and most of those were trolling, with comments like, "only n i g g e r s use Twitter" and "go choke yourself" and "it's an attack against conservatives" and how "the bots stuff is bullshit".

      I count five making the case for not voting and three others making the "both sides are trash" argument (which is also a case against voting).

      You don't have to go to Twitter to see this effect in action. The problem is, it's not working as well this time around.

      Both sides are trash is only an argument against voting for the sides that are trash. The great irony of the modern American political system is that each inevitable Republican or Democratic victory is the result of winning a larger minority of the votes of eligible voters. If ALL those who COULD vote but do not ALL GOT TOGETHER and agreed on a candidate, and actually showed up and VOTED for that candidate, THAT candidate would win and all the crazy, stupid neocon Republican asshole candidates and all the corrupt, weak, useless, paid-to-fail, pro-corporate, pro-war, fake-environmentalist Democrat piece of shit neoliberal candidates, could all be sent home where they belong.

      Like Batman, I only have one rule, (when it comes to voting): if you take large donor, corporate money, or are supported by a PAC, SuperPAC, etc., which takes either corporate donations, as they call them, or large-donor money, which whatever the bullshit, pro-corruption/anti-democracy laws or rulings may say to the contrary, I consider to be BRIBERY , you are ineligible to receive my vote. Period.

      How about THIS for a new law: Once all the votes are tallied, ALL registered voters who DO not vote and all those who voted for the 4th, 5th, (etc.) placed vote-getters, ALL those will be counted as votes cast for the THIRD-PLACE guy (or gal, as the case may be,) and then the original, pre-correction first-place vote-getter only wins if he or she beats no. 3.

      Somehow, I suspect that would fix the low-voter-turnout problem without having to force anyone to vote, i.e., at gunpoint.

    6. Re:Side note by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 03, 2018
      People willing to vote against both the Dumbocraps and Repukelican'ts have a hell of a lot more passion than the goose stepping morons who blindly vote the big party li(n)e.

      And...my point is made. The prosecution rests.

      Wait... are you mad at people who do not like either half of the Demopublican, (or at this point I suppose we should call it the Republicratic) Party?

      Because you know, the argument could be made, by me for example, that people who feel obliged to vote for their team, no matter how loathesome their candidate is, no matter how pathetically and hilariously unqualified and full of horseshit they are, are the ones most directly responsible for the fact that all we get for lunch anymore, is this endless succession of shit sandwiches.

      Just saying.

    7. Re:Side note by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2

      If you can still honestly say to yourself that both sides are the same, you're either being dishonest or are willfully trying to misinform people.

      In either case, you are playing your role, Anonymous Coward.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    8. Re:Side note by gman003 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I have definitely noticed an upsurge in troll/hatemob comments, and upvotes for same, here over the past year or so. It only affects political articles, and mostly happens in the first few hours after an article is posted. Moderation neutralizes a lot of it eventually but we're definitely under siege, and I feel like we're losing ground.

    9. Re:Side note by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Some of us have real work to do, rather than posting on Slashdot all day, and don't bother to log in most of the time you know.

    10. Re:Side note by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 3, Insightful

      In the little over an hour since this story about trolls being removed from Twitter was posted, 34 of the 38 comments posted here were from anonymous cowards, and most of those were trolling, with comments like, "only n i g g e r s use Twitter" and "go choke yourself" and "it's an attack against conservatives" and how "the bots stuff is bullshit".

      Two of those are just dumbarse AC wastes of space, a time honored Slashdot tradition. The other two are quite possibly just points of view that you don't like.

      I count five making the case for not voting and three others making the "both sides are trash" argument (which is also a case against voting).

      You don't have to go to Twitter to see this effect in action. The problem is, it's not working as well this time around.

      Making a case for not voting, and "both sides are trash", are points of view. You don't have to like them, but that doesn't make them nefarious "voter suppression". Doesn't make them bots either.

      Even directly suggesting that voting is a waste of time is just a point of view. It may or may not persuade anyone. We used to value the freedom to try to persuade each other of things. There may have even been an amendment about it. (Yes, Twitter isn't government. I'm talking about the sentiment, the valuing of that freedom.)

    11. Re:Side note by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Some of us have real work to do, rather than posting on Slashdot all day, and don't bother to log in most of the time you know.

      Uh-huh.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    12. Re:Side note by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I have definitely noticed an upsurge in troll/hatemob comments, and upvotes for same, here over the past year or so. It only affects political articles, and mostly happens in the first few hours after an article is posted. Moderation neutralizes a lot of it eventually but we're definitely under siege, and I feel like we're losing ground.

      I think we've actually passed peak troll. I believe they're learning that it's becoming less effective and they'll soon move onto something else, like shooting up synagogues or sending pipe bombs in the mail.

      With luck, we may be able to go back to seeing silly, harmless trolling, like GNAA.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    13. Re: Side note by astrofurter · · Score: 1

      Naw brohamley, the two faces of the Establishment Party are totally different. The Republicans are a shit sandwich - whereas the Democrats are a turd baguette. The difference is huuuuuuge!

    14. Re:Side note by mpercy · · Score: 1

      Opensecrets.org

      Top Organizations Funding Outside Spending Groups

      Rank Donor $Total $To Conservatives $To Liberals %To Conservatives %To Liberals
      1 Carpenters & Joiners Union $27,702,409 $612,500 $27,079,909 2% 98%
      2 American Action Network $21,949,926 $21,949,926 $0 100% 0%
      3 Environment America $19,812,000 $0 $19,812,000 0% 100%
      4 Senate Leadership Fund $18,697,545 $18,697,545 $0 100% 0%
      5 Action Now Initiative $16,656,000 $0 $0 0% 0%
      6 National Education Assn $16,051,193 $0 $16,001,193 0% 100%
      7 Laborers Union $13,684,305 $775,000 $12,904,305 6% 94%
      8 Republican Governors Assn $13,385,000 $13,385,000 $0 100% 0%
      9 One Nation $12,800,000 $12,800,000 $0 100% 0%
      10 National Assn of Realtors $12,378,282 $2,500 $0 100% 0%
      11 SENATE MAJORITY PAC $9,835,159 $0 $9,835,159 0% 100%
      12 League of Conservation Voters $9,384,189 $0 $9,384,189 0% 100%
      13 American Federation of State/Cnty/Munic Employees $9,069,720 $2,000 $9,067,720 0% 100%
      14 American Federation of Teachers $7,892,500 $0 $7,892,500 0% 100%
      15 American Bridge 21st Century $7,333,125 $0 $7,333,125 0% 100%
      16 NextGen Climate Action $7,256,007 $0 $7,255,507 0% 100%
      17 Service Employees International Union $7,160,507 $0 $7,160,507 0% 100%
      18 Operating Engineers Union $6,533,094 $375,000 $6,148,094 6% 94%
      19 Citizens for A Working America $5,464,500 $5,264,000 $200,500 96% 4%
      20 Democratic Governors Assn $5,350,000 $0 $5,350,000 0% 100%
      21 Freedom Partners $5,080,085 $5,080,085 $0 100% 0%
      22 United Steelworkers $5,025,198 $0 $5,025,198 0% 100%
      23 Greater New York Hospital Assn $5,021,776 $521,776 $4,500,000 10% 90%
      24 America Votes $4,575,900 $0 $4,575,900 0% 100%
      25 Koch Industries $4,540,000 $4,515,000 $0 100% 0%
      26 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers $3,917,500 $60,000 $3,857,500 2% 98%
      27 United Food & Commercial Workers Union $3,682,920 $0 $3,692,920 0% 100%
      28 Hillwood Development $3,500,000 $3,500,000 $0 100% 0%
      29 Club for Growth $3,380,978 $3,380,978 $0 100% 0%
      30 Planned Parenthood $3,240,299 $0 $3,240,299 0% 100%

    15. Re:Side note by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean, fake bombs without caps and explosives, that are as long as 2 AA batteries?
      And democratic shooters?

  33. Re:Democratic control by myid · · Score: 3, Informative

    Interesting how all the voter supression and election fraud comes from the Republicans.

    Nope. According to The New York Times,

    The North Dakota Democratic Party posted a misleading ad on its website and on Facebook that suggests state residents should reconsider voting in this year's election if they have hunting licenses in other states.
    . . .
    A look at the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party's claim:

    CLAIM: "By voting in North Dakota, you could forfeit your hunting licenses." - posted on the Democratic party's website this week.

    THE FACTS: The ad is false.

  34. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Let's make sure those luxuries are only attainable by the wealthy elites the way Jesus wants it.

    Or those who are willing to get off their lazy fucking ass and work for it, as the 21st Century you live in demands.

    Enough ass-grabbing of history as if it's relevant today. I don't give a shit how cheap your grandfather's college costs were, and neither does a current or future employer.

  35. Sir, the living dead have feelings too! by rsilvergun · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Some of my best friends friends are Zombie-Americans (but they prefer to be called the living impaired).

    Seriously though, Voter fraud is a red herring to distract from Voter Suppression. Jury Duty, Voting on Tuesday, disenfranchising felons (and making it impossible for them to get their rights back), the constant voter roll purges (targeted at left leaning voters) and my personal favorite stationing armed police in riot gear outside polls in predominately black neighborhoods to "keep order". Heck, there's been a few instances of people being prosecuted and jailed for "voter fraud" because they helped an elderly relative who couldn't see vote, which is in itself suppression (don't vote or we'll throw you in prison).

    This stuff works, especially in a country with such slim margins of victory. Trump one the Whitehouse by a few hundred thousand votes.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
    1. Re: Sir, the living dead have feelings too! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      They have lines to vote in USA? People say us British like queueing but I've never had to. Walk 5 minutes from my house to the local polling station, talk to one of the free workers, get my form go to one of the free booths, make a mark and drop it in the box then leave, and if I want tell one of the party activists that I have voted. Total time 10 minutes on my way to work. Of course they get us to vote on very few direct democracy questions and when we do we screw the country...

    2. Re: Sir, the living dead have feelings too! by astrofurter · · Score: 2

      There's no need for clumsy shit like voter registration fraud, when computerized voting has enabled widespread election fraud.

    3. Re: Sir, the living dead have feelings too! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Voter suppression? Are you talking about requirement that you have an ID to vote - a practice so wide spread that the US is considered backwater by places like India for NOT having it?

      Good luck convincing people to let you issue a national ID when you're creating false hysterics about hunting licenses in order to ignore actual voter suppression.

      It isn't like states such as North Caroina and Pennsylvania have lost on court over their failure to issue ID, and others have documented problems with rampant gerrymandering.

      You've got to complain about something that isn't really a meaningful problem.

  36. Re:Democratic control by Iamthecheese · · Score: 0, Troll
    --
    If video games influenced behavior the Pac Man generation would be eating pills and running away from their problems.
  37. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Why do you think Democrats inflate the number registered voters" - PROVE IT YOU LYING NAZI FAGGOT, your bitch lipped WORD is worth NOTHING, you CUNTY LYING NAZI FAGGOT.

  38. Third option.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...Can I call you both idiots?

    1. Re:Third option.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They aren't idiots. They are Russian trolls attempting to create a sense of division and disharmony on our society.

      By posting vulgarities on slashdot.

    2. Re:Third option.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But russians do not call people NAZI's they call them fashist, becouse in russian language you swear to people "jobannoi fashist blad" ...
      Becouse in CCCP it would have been difficult to say "jobannoi Natsist" becouse the socialist part in that name NSDAP ...

  39. It hurt my feel feels! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Let's ban everything that I don't agree with!

  40. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just because the Democrats scream "Bots!" and "Russians!" all day doesn't make it true.

  41. Re: Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yea right, the word-mincers at Snopes ... might as well ask the Democrats directly if they committed fraud.

    "There is no illegal voting because we don't call it "illegal". Checkmate Republicans!"

  42. Re: Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Nobody has to agree to host your racist bullshit, loser.

  43. My account was suspended by fbobraga · · Score: 1

    I I'm not a bot, I think...

    1. Re:My account was suspended by shanen · · Score: 1

      But you acted enough like one for the trolls to detect your account and report you for suspension. Just part of their tactics for destroying rational dialogue. Longer discussion in some other story, but I don't want to repeat it here. Something about bots to report humans as bots...

      --
      Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
    2. Re:My account was suspended by fbobraga · · Score: 1

      I don't think so: I'm Brazilian, we just passed for elections here...

    3. Re:My account was suspended by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Identification is based on networks and specific posting activity. You acted as a mouthpiece for paid trolls and bots.

    4. Re:My account was suspended by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But calling libbies NPCs is dehumanizing!

      Faggots.

    5. Re:My account was suspended by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The amount of evidence you present to show how you arrived to your conclusion is epic.Are you Phoenix Wright posting AC for whatever reason?

    6. Re:My account was suspended by Mashiki · · Score: 2

      But you acted enough like one for the trolls to detect your account and report you for suspension. Just part of their tactics for destroying rational dialogue. Longer discussion in some other story, but I don't want to repeat it here. Something about bots to report humans as bots...

      You mean he posted opinions that Twitter didn't approve of, so they banned his account. And you're cheering the authoritarianism of it. Thing is, they did the same thing to conservatives here in Ontario during the Doug Ford election. But those thousands of bots, all repeating the same crap and flooding candidates feeds? Those were left up, in every case the candidate was conservative.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
  44. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The biggest voter suppression is coming from the Democrats: by nominating complete dumpster fires for high office.

    FTFY. Who the fuck wouldn't stay home, given the "candidates" they're pushing?

  45. I can't count (AC) by shanen · · Score: 2

    My settings render them mostly invisible, so I can't count them, and I sort of resent the time wasted by references to and citations of the invisible trolls, whether or not they are zombies. This whole AC thing has become an abuse of anonymity. There should be a simple option: "By default my comments are AC (or not)" and you should retain the option to override. Only a slight extension from the current situation, which pushes the "not" on people who might feel otherwise in this age of privacy intrusions.

    Me? I think the only justification for anonymity is prior anonymity. For example, you wouldn't need to worry about being called out as a whistle-blower if the person and crimes you were blowing the whistle on were already known in public.

    Most of the trolls are merely abusing our human tendency to be polite to strangers. There are evolutionary reasons why we are that way, but it seems our evolutionary weaknesses are on the edge of destroying our civilization. Thus endeth the Fermi Paradox.

    I think the general solution [Gads, what fool thinks of discussing "solution" on today's Slashdot?] remains a stronger reputation system so that we don't have to waste so much time figuring out who is worth listening to. In other words, the time should be spent for the listening to, not for the figuring out.

    I've already spent too much time on this comment. The story is about Twitter and Twitter is fundamentally FUBAR, but I bid you ADSAuPR, atAJG.

    --
    Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
  46. Re: Democratic control by Raenex · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    they are trying to gain partisan advantages [..] false hysteria

    You mean like this?

    "The Texas Democratic Party asked non-citizens to register to vote, sending out applications to immigrants with the box citizenship already checked "Yes," according to new complaints filed Thursday asking prosecutors to see what laws may have been broken.

    The Public Interest Legal Foundation alerted district attorneys and the federal Justice Department to the pre-checked applications, and also included a signed affidavit from a man who said some of his relatives, who aren't citizens, received the mailing."

    "The applications were pre-addressed to elections officials, which is likely what left many voters to believe they were receiving an official communication from the state.

    But the return address was from the State Democratic Executive Committee, and listed an address in Austin that matches the state Democratic Party's headquarters.

    The letter is emblazoned with "Urgent! Your voter registration deadline is October 9." It continues: "Your voter registration application is inside. Complete, sign and return it today!"

    On the application, boxes affirming the applicant is both 18 and a U.S. citizen are already checked with an "X" in the Yes field.

    The mailing also urges those who are unsure if they're registered to "Mail it in.""

  47. Re: Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    People like Raenex think people who chant "Jews will not replace us" and "blood and soil" and mail pipe bombs to political opponents, and harangue people who use pizza emojis because only pedophiles use pizza emojis apparently, are a protected class unto themselves, which is why conservatives are now regarded as a laughingstock and being run out of town on a rail everywhere they go.

  48. Re: Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Let's see a more balanced version of the story (ever since reporters at the Washington Times called me an idiot for supporting Obamacare, I have dismissed them as angry, hateful partisan hacks):

    "The Texas Democratic Party is proud to have made an unprecedented investment to provide eligible Texans with the opportunity to vote," Garcia said. "Using the secretary of state's voter file, national change of address information and consumer data, the Texas Democratic Party mailed voter registration applications to a large number of people who may have moved to Texas, changed their or a loved one's address, or are members of Texas' diverse and rising electorate. These data sets are large, complicated and imperfect. Nonetheless, every mail piece makes absolutely clear that applications are affirming under penalty of perjury that they meet all of the eligibility requirements to vote."

    I mean, sure if you think all brown-skinned people don't have a right to vote, you will think that any drive to try and get them to register to vote is "encouraging illegal voting".

  49. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not entirely false. I do RTFA, and, yes, the article makes it clear people with lower cost resident hunter licenses in other states can lost their licenses if they vote in North Dakota:

    Kentucky offers both resident and nonresident licenses , with a higher price for nonresidents

  50. Bots discourage voting, how? by magarity · · Score: 1

    OK, I get it if some people can be mislead by a bot saying "Senator Bedfellow eats babies" but how does one get fooled into not voting by a bot saying "only idiots vote, just don't do it..." ?

  51. Assassinate Vladimir Putin! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Kill the Satanic monster who feeds on Russian babies!

  52. Re: Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    get a room, you two!

  53. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    by illegally bussing in voters to vote for them

    that is complete bullshit.

    I am not going to waste any time refuting the rest of your Gish gallop. Your claim that illegal voters were bused in has no basis in fact, so you obviously have no concern about objective truth or fact.

  54. Re: Democratic control by Raenex · · Score: 0, Troll

    I appreciate the "more balanced" source, because:

    1) It does not dispute the facts, the main point being it pre-cheked the citizen box.

    2) It includes an admission from the Democrats that they intentionally did this to go after a "diverse and rising electorate".

    Ergo, they targeted a population rife with illegal immigrants, and encouraged them to register.. It's official: Democrats are the party of illegal immigration.

  55. Shouldn't just delete by gnasher719 · · Score: 1

    Twitter should create a website, where they list each account, and each message from each account. So that people can check out what propaganda messages have been sent out.

  56. Armageddon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Twitter, Facebook, and social networking in general are the end of human civilization. We would do so much better completely banning social networks. Plus, that would also mean we would never hear from President Trump again.

  57. YOU ARE THE FRAUD, MORON. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why don't you actually look at Trump for once and see the mountain of frauds he's built on, and realize the entire election is basically whether or not his fraud is held accountable, because this GOP is covering up for him?

    YOU ARE THE FRAUD MORON, PAY ATTENTION.

    1. Re: YOU ARE THE FRAUD, MORON. by Orange+Man+Bad · · Score: 0

      Orange Man Bad!!!!!

  58. Re:LYING REPUBLICAN FAGGOT PROBLEMS AGAIN? Bingo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There have been several Gubernatorial and National elections in the last 20 years decided by less than 300 votes. Seems that you like vote fraud that changes the results of the election.

  59. Re: Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    One out of 1,966. That's a failure rate of .05%, never knew government could be so efficient.
    I guess I could add this, California's DMV finds an additional 1,500 people wrongly registered to vote
    http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-dmv-more-voter-registration-errors-20181008-story.html
    and this where Texas Democrats sent prefilled registration form to non-citizens.
    https://www.apnews.com/603bb76f69079a9269e46335638d3e1e
    in finding that last article I found out that Texas had a similar DMV problem in 2015
    https://dailycaller.com/2015/04/08/former-doj-official-non-citizens-registered-to-vote-through-motor-voter-registration-forms/

  60. Did Twitter do this fairly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is a link to Dick Meyer Twitter account
    https://twitter.com/DickMeyer_DC
    His account is active and he wrote an article for USA Today on Oct. 23, 2018, titled "Dear concerned Semi-Trumpers, please resist a little and vote for Democrats in midterms."
    https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/10/23/concerned-trump-voters-choose-democrats-third-party-stay-home-column/1669812002/
    In the subheadline he writes, "vote Democratic, vote third party, or stay home in the 2018 midterm elections."
    He concludes his article with " I’d say it’s better to stay home on Election Day than veto your reservations about Donald Trump and his presidency."
    Please tell me how the DCCC is an unbiased source for this?

  61. Re:Democratic control by CohibaVancouver · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Everybody owes me a living and a safespace from opinion I don't agree with, waah waaaah waaaah!

    Look you Anonymous Coward Trump voter, your dear leader has already told you the USA owes you your coal mining job, so stop whining.

    Now go back to your FOX NEWS safe space and get off the internet where you might hear opposing views, you conservative snowflake.

  62. won't matter any by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the results are already rigged in at least a dozen 'must win' (for either party) states... and not for the good guys.

  63. Re:Democratic control by h33t+l4x0r · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What vote are they supposed to be suppressing by posting that on their own website? Interstate-hunting democrats?

  64. Philosophically Valid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It is a valid philosophical standpoint to argue against the value of democracy as a system of government.

  65. Here's an example! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The above AC's post is EXACTLY the kind of crap meme that gets spread around to discourage voting.

  66. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The science of 57 genders sure is fake science.

  67. Re: Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Yeah and for some goddamn reason the Republicans haven't been able to JACK SHIT to curb illegal immigration despite having several opportunities over the years to do so.

    Republican majority in House? Check.
    Republican majority in Senate? Check.
    Republican president? Check.

    And not a single comprehensive immigration reform law has been passed.

  68. Re: Democratic control by Orange+Man+Bad · · Score: 0

    Orange Man Bad!!

  69. Re: Democratic control by Raenex · · Score: 0

    You need 60 votes to break a filibuster on an immigration bill. The Democrats have gone all-in as the party of illegal immigration.

  70. Re: Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Donald Trump left a DEUCE in my SHOE!!

  71. Re: LYING REPUBLICAN FAGGOT PROBLEMS AGAIN? Bingo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The message above was brought to you by the Committee to Reelect Donald Trump in 2020.

    Remember voters - Democrats are deranged, mean-spirited wingnuts whose idea of political debate is hurling childish insults. Compared to Democrats President Trump is grown up, kind hearted, and a serious intellectual.

    Vote TRUMP in 2020 - for common decency!

  72. politics by Tom · · Score: 1

    spread negative and false information

    Please enable that filter globally.

    90% of politicians messages will be instantly silenced. Negative and false information, about ones opponent, about opposing ideas, and about the current state of the world (to justify your new pet law) is the modus operandi of politics.

    --
    Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
  73. Re: Democratic control by terrycarlino · · Score: 2

    I hate to disagree with you here, but the Republicans controlling the senate can kill the filabuster any time they want. Had I been in charge of the senate the first thing I would have done was kill the closure requirement. The Democrats did it to get there way when they controlled the senate and actions should have consequences. When the Democrats decided to overturn Senate rules that had existed since the time of Jefferson because they couldn't get their way why should the Republicans continue to operate with one hand tied behind their backs?

    The only answer is that they don't really want to engender change and fix problems. They want to keep the issues alive as voting issues just like the Democrats. To quote a Dead White Guy, "A plague on both your houses."

  74. nibberized voting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Keeping nibbers away from voting machines is like keeping women away from chocolate boxes.

  75. ah, but did Big Social delete the accounts that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    were telling Republicans to vote for Libertarian candidates? (clearly a ploy to split the non-Democrat vote)

    or

    the ones that told hunters that if they voted in these midterms, they would lose their hunting licenses? (clearly a ploy to suppress the votes of gun owners)

    yeah, thought not.

  76. Excuses by Kunedog · · Score: 1

    Posting the same reply I gave you last time you linked the same article, which you didn't answer.

    It didn't merit an answer. "Automated System" is just an obvious attempt to dodge responsibility for the censorship (i.e. suppression of the hashtag), like when Youtube claims "the algorithm did it." It'll mean the same thing (i.e. nothing) when they switch to saying "the AI did it."

    Their other excuse of "potential Russian links" is the same sad cover story the media desperately used in a (failed) attempt to stop people from paying attention to the content of the leak.

    1. Re:Excuses by Plus1Entropy · · Score: 1

      Of course you think that. I just wanted you to say it.

      Because your actual opinion relies on information not in the original article you linked, but actually your pre-existing conspiratorial mindset. Your source says that Twitter admitted their automated system deleted tweets. That's it.

      Your opinion, however, is that they were clearly running impromptu damage control for the Democrats, because all technology companies are in the pockets of Democrats, etc. etc. However, none of that is in the article you linked, so it doesn't actually support the viewpoint you have. So citing this source as evidence of all these conspiratorial conclusions is misleading.

      I don't appreciate it when people cite sources in a deliberately misleading way. Even Breitbart was less full of shit than you were.

      --
      Only crack the nuts that crack. You don't put the ones that don't crack in the sack.
  77. Public masturbation of 5464356 by shanen · · Score: 1

    Z^-1

    --
    Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
    1. Re: Public masturbation of 5464356 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fuck off, nazi. No one here want what you're selling.

    2. Re:Public masturbation of 5464356 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Will somebody PLEASE mod this crap down?? This guy is a real twerp and a pervert!

  78. Re: Democratic control by Raenex · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    I guess you're talking about the "nuclear option" that the Democrats used to appoint judges. The Republicans returned the favor with the Supreme Court nomination.

    As for completely ending the filibuster, maybe their ulterior motive is to keep voting issues alive, or maybe they like keeping the majority party in check via tradition. Not being privy to their thoughts or private conversations, I don't know what their thinking is, but I tend to agree, I'd be inclined to end the filibuster too.

    That said, even without a filibuster, there is a problem with getting a sane immigration policy because there's a certain percentage of Republicans (like Paul Ryan) that are soft on immigration. That puts a tarnish on Republicans, but compared to the Democrats it's night and day.

  79. Fair play? by mpercy · · Score: 1, Troll

    "Twitter said that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had brought the accounts to their attention."

    Would they have jumped as quickly if the RNC had brought 10,000 accounts to their attention? Or would we be reading about how the RNC tried to get Twitter to censor accounts of well-meaning woke robots?

  80. Re: Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I hope your name is PopeRatzo.

  81. This is International Socialism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    "Twitter said that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had brought the accounts to their attention. ".
    There is no way to read this article that does not imply that the Democrats asked Twitter to suppress a select list of accounts, just in time to influence the midterm elections; and Twitter obeyed. Anyone who argues otherwise is simply being disingenuous.

    International Socialism, which is both the political philosophy and the religion of the Democratic Party, explicitly endorses government/industry partnerships ("crony capitalism"), in which the government supports and protects corporations that support and protect the socialist party. This is why big companies, like Google, Facebook, etc, support International Socialism - because the Democrats will protect their monopoly positions, as long as they publicly and privately support whatever goals the Democrats set for them. International Socialism is not Communism; International Socialism, like National Socialism before it, actually accepts and encourages monopoly capitalism, so long as the capitalists ensure that their corporations subordinate to the will of the party.

    if you believe in International Socialism, particularly with religious fervor, then the fact that the tech giants are actively engaged in swaying elections is a good thing... as is voting fraud, fake news, and anything else required to end this democratic tyranny of the proletariat and put the priestly elites back in charge.

  82. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Look you Anonymous Coward Trump voter, your dear leader has already told you the USA owes you your coal mining job, so stop whining.

    Right. The only thing the USA owes you is healthcare, education, and the right to free tampons. A JOB? What sort of fool would want that?

  83. They actually can't get away with that often by rsilvergun · · Score: 2

    it's too obvious when you swing an election that way. The exit polls don't match and, well, we've got decades of statistics on exit polls and we know how they should match (e.g. even if they don't match exactly we know roughly by how much they should be off, meaning if you' cheat that way to swing an election you're probably getting caught).

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  84. super different by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Dems will take your money, your guns and your speech. Then the Reps come take away social services, expand surveillance and give tax breaks to their friends. When you're barefoot and broke the reps will make it illegal. So vote early and often, just for 3rd parties and FOR actual candidates, not stupid "sports" teams.

  85. Comrade! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He spouted unapproved opinions that had to be silenced.

  86. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    why do you call him socialist (NAZI)?

    Or are you really thinking, that he or she is a national socialist?

  87. Re: Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Actually, only one of those is regularly considered a state duty.

  88. Re: Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Raenex, stop posting. Your redundant links only emphasize your practice of deceit.

    The Texas Democratic Party sent a mass mailing. Big whup. That just means they wasted their money.

    Meanwhile Kris Konach failed thousands of times with his voter purges that swept up actual legit voters. That means he violated the law and wasted the state's money. So badly he was ordered to fix his own incompetence.

  89. Re: Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They've already been caught bussing in voters during early voting. This is very real and very scary.

    You're scared by the entirely legal use of mass transportation? And they were caught by their own announcements of the action?

    Try to get in touch with reality.

    Seriously, Raenex, you are outraged over the chartering of buses.

    How stupid a complaint is that?

  90. Re:Democratic control by Mashiki · · Score: 1

    Get your own platform, they said.

    The democrats, progressives and authoritarians believe that this is a good idea, that it absolutely will never be used against them either. And of course, this absolutely doesn't disprove the point that there's a group of people out there who are acting in a conspiratorial manner to silence speech.

    Not at all.

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  91. Re: Democratic control by Scarletdown · · Score: 1

    Pie R round, not square

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  92. Public masturbation of 184564 by shanen · · Score: 1

    Z^-2

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    Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
    1. Re:Public masturbation of 184564 by Mashiki · · Score: 1

      Z^-3

      Must be a very tough life you lead, all those facts that get in the way with your opinions. Need a head pat?

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    2. Re:Public masturbation of 184564 by shanen · · Score: 1

      Z^-4

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      Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
    3. Re: Public masturbation of 184564 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Go home, nazi asshole. No one here wants what you're selling.

    4. Re:Public masturbation of 184564 by Mashiki · · Score: 1

      Z^-4

      You could just change your .sig to "I am authoritarian, dissenting opinions not allowed."

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    5. Re:Public masturbation of 184564 by shanen · · Score: 1

      Z^-5

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      Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
    6. Re:Public masturbation of 184564 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If the moderators were serious about curating this place, they would handle this kind of shit posting posthaste!

  93. Public masturbation of 184564 by shanen · · Score: 1

    Z^-3

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    Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
  94. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Another fuckface who has no understanding of science

    see yourself out little limp-dicked person

  95. Re:Democratic control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You're just upset your whole worldview is trash and people are calling you out on it.

    Grow a pair you tiny-dicked incel