Archive for May, 2011
Concern Trolls vs Eeyores: Can You Spot the Difference?
(Moderator’s Note: The following guidelines for dealing with Concern Trolls and Eeyores are excerpted from a post by Kevin DuJan that originally ran on January 10, 2010. As the 2012 election process gets underway, it’s vitally important for members of the American Resistance to be able to spot and eliminate Concern Trolls and Eeyores, both online and in real life.)
Kevin DuJan, Editor & Founder of HillBuzz.org
Some of you have asked us to further explain the difference between Concern Trolls and Eeyores. Well, here goes.
Concern Troll = someone who posts on a board, forum, or article and says things like:
* “You know, I really like Scott Brown, but it’s Massachusetts, and even though he’s had a surge, it’s Massachusetts, so we should stop phone-banking or working hard and just give up. It’s Massachusetts”.
* “Oh, I’ve been so proud of how hard Hillary Clinton has been fighting, but there’s no way she’s going to win Ohio. This is the best board ever, and we all love Hillary, but I heard on MSNBC that Obama has it all sewed up, so for the good of the party she should just quit and drop out of the race. I like her, but I think we need to just give up now.”
* “You know, I didn’t like Sarah Palin at first, but then, wow, she gave a great speech at the convention and I think she has a good heart. Such cute kids, too! But, really, I hate to say she’s not ready yet to be Vice President, but she’s not. I think we just need to accept that and move on”.
Concern Trolls use a lot of “I Statements”, the kind bad therapists tell sociopaths to use more of so that they trick parole boards into releasing them. “I think”, “I feel”, “I believe”, etc. They have a three-pronged, four or five sentence max, little system:
(A) Establish some positive connection to whatever the thread is about, but using “I Statements” to say things like: “I like Scott Brown”, “I didn’t like Sarah Palin at first but”, “I’ve been so proud of Hillary Clinton”, etc. The example about Palin is good because one of the other things they try to do is establish some sort of false-honesty by seemingly admitting something to the board, so that they generate a fake credibility, among other oxymorons. “I didn’t like her at first, but, now I do, and I’ve thus established you can trust me because I shared that secret, now listen to me when I tell you to sit your butts home and let Democrats win. Otay? Buh-bye!”
(B) Tell everyone they all worked hard and note how impressed the troll is with all of you (“This is the best board ever!”), and then express “concern” that people are getting their hopes up too much and that people need to not waste their energy on the task at hand. “We’ve all worked hard, but now it is time to give up and do nothing so that Democrats can catchup and beat us”.
(C) Flat-out, using “I Statements”, tell everyone to just give up, but without making imperative statements that would come off as commands and piss people off. So, they don’t say, “You have to just stop and give up now so Democrats can win”. Instead, they say, “I think we’re all just really tired. We put up a good fight. But the Boston Globe poll says Coakley’s ahead by 15 points, and it is Massachusetts, so we should just all put our diapers on, sit in the corner, and fill them, all day, doing nothing productive, until someone can come and change us. That’s what I am going to do, and I have been the biggest supporter of our candidate ever. I love this board!”
Concern trolls are often, but not always, paid operatives who quite possibly work in little boutique PR and Public Strategies consulting firms in major cities. Chicago has DOZENS of these. We know — we’ve worked in these offices. Where do you think we learned everything we tell you?
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Eeyores are different from Concern Trolls even if the end result is the same, to demoralize supporters of one candidate so the other candidate can win.
We came up with the term Eeyores to describe people in our ranks during the Clinton campaign who would depress other volunteers with their pessimism, negativity, and “there’s no way we can win!” nonsense. These are people who get all their news from CNN and MSNBC without realizing that CNN and MSNBC have agendas and deliberately lie to push them.
Eeyores LOVE emailing people negative articles. It’s sick, actually.
Concern trolls WANT you to give up; Eeyores don’t want you to give up and don’t want the opponent to win, but don’t realize they are sabotaging all efforts you’re making.
Concern Trolls DELIBERATELY lower morale.
Eeyores lower morale unintentionally.
They just can’t shut their damn mouths and need to keep venting their pessimism, spreading their little black rainclouds everywhere. It’s frustrating.
Eeyores are actually FAR MORE DANGEROUS and harder to deal with, because they are often your friends. In our case, with Hillary Clinton, Eeyores were people we liked very much — but the time and energy it took to keep these people propped up, and to talk them down off ledges they got on whenever Tim Russert starting bellowing “Just quit already!” really distracted us from other things we needed to do.
It cost us AT LEAST three essays a day we could have written…about 100 phone calls a day we could have made…or just plain old sleep we missed because we were refuting, bit by bit, everything the MSNBC/CNN propaganda machine was putting out there to discourage Hillary’s voters and lower our turnout on election day.
Exhausting!
HillBuzz itself, this site, exists because of Eeyores, actually. It’s why we started this site, because the constant emails from 50 or so of these people on our list of 500 volunteers took so much time to address that we just started posting what we would have written to these people individually on this site. We never intended this to be a national site. It was strictly for Chicago Hillary volunteers, so we could share articles to refute what the MSM propaganda machine was doing, and to give people tips to fight Concern Trolls and combat Eeyorism in their own midst.
(Moderator’s Note: We’re re-running this Concern Trolls vs Eeyores identification guide because of a comment that came in today. Is it a concern troll? An Eeyore? A totally innocent reader just sharing his honest opinion? Should we delete it, or allow it to stand? Would you have recognized this as “trolling” before you became a Hillbuzz reader? Have you ever written anything like it yourself? Do you find it demoralizing? Hillbuzzers, please examine the following comment and share your critique. Please explain your reasoning.)
Thank you for the invite to post here boyz. I am a Romney supporter, and after being blasted…actually savaged here by many of you Palin supporters, I have opted not to have any further discussions on this site. While I understand that Palin is your number one choice for the nominations, the continuing barrage of insults to any other potential Presidential candidates (“soggy cucumber sandwiches”) has become not only tiresome, but offensive. Even worse, the insults I and others have had to endure from Palin supporters has only fed the reputations that Palin supporters can be the nastiest political group of people in cyberspace.
I am not trying to be intentionally mean or condescending here, only honest about my feeling about Hillbuzz for the past year or so. Since I found this site before the 2008 elections, I have enjoyed reading the various commentaries. I even wrote to Rush Limbaugh urging him to check out his site. I was even delighted to hear him mention it only a few days later on his radio show.
Since Obama was elected, I have been a little perplexed by the nonstop Palin worship going on here, especially with how I was viciously attacked for not supporting her to run for President out of concern that independent voters would not back her, handing four more years to Obama. The attacks were nonstop and relentless. I could not have a rational discuss on this site anymore. That’s it why I stopped posting.
If you have noticed that traffic on this site has dwindled, perhaps you should take note that the Palin supporters here need to tone down their rhetoric and be respectful to those who don’t support a Palin run for the Presidency. This site has a lot of potential and should be more welcoming to those who support different candidates. Perhaps then again, this is exactly what is article is all about.
So…what’s your verdict? Was this comment written by a Concern Troll, Eeyore, or Innocent Bystander?
Indiana State Senator Vows to Fight IN Supreme Court Decision Allowing Random Illegal House Searches
It’s good to know that not everyone is asleep at the wheel when it comes to the Constitutions of Indiana and the U.S.
Predictably, there are those in law enforcement eager to take advantage of the Indiana State Supreme Court’s ruling last week that forbids citizens of Indiana from resisting illegal home invasions by police, who also no longer need a warrant to enter a home (courtesy of a separate decision by the Court last week.)
According to Newton County Sheriff, Don Hartman Sr., random house to house searches are now possible and could be helpful following the Barnes v. STATE of INDIANA Supreme Court ruling issued on May 12th, 2011. When asked three separate times due to the astounding callousness as it relates to trampling the inherent natural rights of Americans, he emphatically indicated that he would use random house to house checks, adding he felt people will welcome random searches if it means capturing a criminal.
(H/T to an alert Hillbuzz reader)
Saturday Open Thread: May 21, 2011
Today in history, Clara Barton and Adolphus Solomons founded the American National Red Cross, the non-profit, volunteer-run organization that is synonymous with disaster relief.
What’s happening today where you live? If life looks good for you today, you may want to throw a few dollars at the Red Cross to help those across the US who are suffering.
Israel: Just The Latest To Go Under Obama’s Bus
Israel is just the latest…over the last three years, Barak Hussein Obama has thrown countless people, organizations, and U.S. allies under the bus, while rolling out the red carpet to known America-hating Communists, fascists, union thugs, and foreign dictators.
If America still exists 20 years from now, it will only be because of what each of us does to save her over the next 36 months.
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn’t a Jew.When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
–Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemöller (14 January 1892 – 6 March 1984) was a Protestant pastor and social activist (from WikiQuote.com)
It’s time to speak out…while we still can.
Democrat Congressman: Obama Shredding the Constitution
We like to recognize intellectual honesty and support of the Constitution wherever we find it. Today we found it here: Dem: Obama “Bringing Democracy To Libya While Shredding The Constitution”.
According to the War Powers Act, passed during the Vietnam era, the President has 60 days to get Congressional approval of any military action, or the action has to stop within 30 days.
In an interview with CNN, Rep. Brad Sherman, D-California, says that Obama is trying to “bring democracy to Libya while shredding the Constitution of the United States.”
Kudos to Rep. Sherman for standing up for the rule of law.
Blue Team Action Item: Find Great Tea Party Videos on YouTube
Here’s an easy Action Item for the Blue Team (Research).
Videos are incredibly powerful when it comes to influencing public opinion. We all have friends and family members we can’t talk to about politics, but maybe we can reach them with comedy. And we all just need to laugh sometimes, too, to keep up our own morale.
We’d like to build a library of pro-America, pro-Tea Party, anti-Leftist videos to include with our Daily Open Threads. They don’t have to be tied to a specific candidate. But they do have to be clever, thought-provoking, and ideally, educational. Something that may demonstrate to a “moderate” or “independent” friend how dangerous BHO and his policies are to America.
So, the next time you’re on YouTube, take a couple of minutes to search for inspirational/entertaining videos, and post them in this thread.
Here’s a good one to start:
http://youtu.be/zF3hbPtCttc
Friday Open Thread: May 20th, 2011
What’s on your minds this Friday?
What are people talking about in your part of the country?
Barak Hussein Obama Throws Israel Under Bus – Breaking News
UPDATE 5/20/2011: Fox News has good coverage of the White House meeting between Netanyahu and the non-Muslim Barak Hussein Obama here: Netanyahu Smacks Down Obama During White House Meeting; Exposes Nobel Peace Prize Winner as Naive Foreign Policy Amateur
Barak Hussein Obama, who is not a Muslim, has thrown long-time U.S. ally Israel under the bus.
In a “radical departure” from U.S. policy, Barak Hussein Obama, who is not a Muslim, declared in a stunning speech today that Israel should swap land for “peace,” and opined that “peace talks” should start with an Israeli withdrawal to 1967 borders.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesman Mark Regev, reached just after the speech, “sounded as though he had been slapped in the face,” according to Fox News:
While the idea of using the 1967 borders as a starting point to negotiate land swaps for a final peace deal is not new, hearing an American president use those words sent chills through the Netanyahu government, which is loathe to even think the words “’67 borders.”
Every Israeli television channel carried the speech live and commentators did not have to wait for a formal reaction to the speech to comment that Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition government would feel both blindsided and abandoned by a U.S. administration that has never been viewed as a friend.
Barak Hussein Obama (who is not a Muslim) kicked Israel to the curb just days before an Israeli delegation is scheduled to arrive in Washington to meet with Teh Won.
This kind of behavior is not unusual for Barak Hussein Obama, who is not a Muslim. In 2010, Teh Won publicly embarrassed Netanyahu by not posing for pictures with him during a visit.
Gold Team Action Item: Create a Music Video of “The Bonny Gadsden Flag”
The Gadsden Flag
H/T to brilliant Hillbuzzer Dave for getting up off the sofa and putting down his Pepsi.
Now here’s a fun project for Gold Team members: take Dave’s excellent lyrics, and the tune to “The Bonny Blue Flag,” and make a music video.
You don’t have to be a musical genius or animator to make a movie. If you have a Mac, iMovie came installed on it. If you have a PC, there are ways to add a music track to a PowerPoint. Knowing the Internet, there are probably website that allow you to upload your files and turn them into movies.
Here’s an example of a low-budget but very clever and effective parody, that is simply slides set to a soundtrack.
Here are Dave’s lyrics:
The Bonny Gadsden Flag
“We are a band of brothers
And native to the soil,
Fighting for the property
We gained by honest toil;
And when our rights were threatened,
The cry rose near and far–
“Hurrah for the Gadson Flag
Fly proudly from our spar!”
CHORUS: Hurrah! Hurrah!
Individual rights hurrah!
Hurrah for the Gadson Flag
Fly proudly from our spar.
While the D.C elite,
Were faithful to their trust,
Like friends and like brothers
Both kind were we and just;
But now, when Federal treachery
Attempts our rights to mar,
We hoist on high the Gadson Flag
Fly proudly from our spar.–CHORUS
First gallant Rick Santelli
cried out from the exchange,
The people followed quickly,
rejecting this new “change”.
Alaska’s native daughter,
inspired many more
All raised on high the Gadson Flag
Fly proudly from our spar.–CHORUS
Ye men of valor, gather round
The banner of our fight;
From home to halls of Congress
The statist foe we smite.
We shall oppose the president,
his cronies and his czars;
Now rally round the Gadson Flag
Fly proudly from our spar.–CHORUS
And then in old Virginia–
progressives met their fate–
Along with blue New Jersey
showed reforms can not wait;
Impelled by their example,
Now other states prepare
To hoist on high the Gadson Flag
Fly proudly from our spar.–CHORUS
Then cheer, boys, cheer;
Raise the joyous shout,
The two-ten midterms proved our case
There is no remaining doubt;
And let another rousing cheer
For freedom’s light be given,
“Don’t tread on me” from the Gadson Flag
Flys proudly from our spar.–CHORUS
Then here’s to our Republic,
Strong are we and brave;
Like patriots of old we’ll fight
Our rule of law to save.
And rather than submit to shame,
To die we would prefer;
So cheer for the Gadson Flag
Fly proudly from our spar.–CHORUS
Here’s a YouTube video that includes the original version of the song, which was written during the Civil War. It’s a Confederate song about southern State’s Rights. I’m sure there’s someone in the Buzzverse who can help turn this into a rallying cry for patriots everywhere.
Brilliant “Concern Troll” Exposé at BigJournalism.com
H/T to longtime HB reader Marian for alerting us to this exceptional post at BigJournalism.com:
MSM Fail: Week after ‘Atlantic’ Concern-Trolls Palin Supporters, Gallup Has Her in 2nd Place
If you’re new to Hillbuzz, “concern trolling” may be a new one on you. Please refer back to one of Kevin DuJan’s brilliant Troll Dissection 101 posts to learn how to pick these trolls apart.
The “Concern Troll” is typically a Democrat National Committee, ACORN, SEIU or Soros-funded operative who is paid to sit in his mom’s basement in his Incredible Hulk Underoos and post fraudulent comments on blogs like Hillbuzz.
The ultimate goal of a Concern Troll is to get Barry Sotero Barak Hussein Obama re-elected and/or destroy the American way of life. Concern Trolls accomplish this by impersonating Conservative, GOP, Libertarian and Tea Party voters who love (Sarah Palin/Herman Cain/a Balanced Budget Amendment/killing Obamacare/saving America) but are (concerned/worried/upset/unsure/doubtful/afraid) that (she’s not serious/it’s too hard/the media won’t like us/I’ll lose my Facebook friends/he’s unelectable/we can’t win).
Concern trolls are paid to post comments that will:
- Demoralize the American Resistance
- Suppress Conservative, GOP, Libertarian and Tea Party voter turnout
- Sow strife and create arguments between Conservative, GOP, Libertarian and Tea Party voters so they attack each other instead of the Left
Most real Concern Trolls are bought and paid for by the Left (often using money that was extorted from rank-and-file union members in the form of dues that are then donated to outfits like the DNC.) It is literally their job to conduct PsyOps campaigns against you, the typical Hillbuzz reader who loves America.
Unfortunately, there are plenty of people in the Cocktail Party who sound like Concern Trolls when they’re discussing “declassé, low-brow, unserious, unelectable” candidates like Herman Cain and Sarah Palin. (And unfortunately, the GOP versions of concern trolls are such saps that they do it for free.)
Concern trolls are dangerous because they’re effective. But like cockroaches, they scatter when exposed to sunlight…so be sure you know how to recognize them and stamp them out wherever you encounter them.
