Kamala Harris' call-them-out Twitter strategy

[crazytown]

Fast Comprehensive Response

Kamala Harris’ call-them-out Twitter strategy

WASHINGTON — When it comes to online conspiracy theories, Sen. Kamala Harris’ campaign follows the old mantra: Sunlight is the best disinfectant.

Traditionally, political public relations teams avoid commenting on conspiracies, misinformation or base insinuations about their clients, believing that calling attention to them dignifies and thus elevates them from the fringes.

But Harris’ communications team has been doing the opposite — immediately calling out material it sees as baseless.

Veterans of Democratic presidential campaigns say other campaigns should take note, because the strategy reflects a new normal in politics.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Kamala-Harris-call-them-out-Twitter-strategy-13634533.php

[still_one]

1. Actually, President Obama was when this strategy started to change, and I believe it was a direct

result of the swift-boating of John Kerry

[crazytown]

2. Yes. I think the difference here is that

they will be countering truely off the wall conspiracy stuff. I don’t know if team Obama tried to nip the Birther crap in the bud. The longevity of zombie facts shows just how difficult the task can be.

From my memories, the thing about the Swift Boats is you could see it coming a mile away.

[still_one]

3. True, but they were also throwing the Rev. Wright and Ayers controversy, trying to paint President

Obama as a "racist and a 'radical'", which he addressed immediately.

I think your assessment is right about the birther garbage. They pushed back, but not very much because there was enough actual evidence to refute it, and I think they determined that it wasn't worth it because it would only distract from the message they wanted to get out.


It could have very easily gone the other way though. In retrospect, always easy to view things after the fact, they probably should have been more forceful with that, especially in regard to calling out the liars that were pushing that.

Going forward, and especially what has transpired with the misinformation and lies from 2016, it seems pretty apparent that you cannot be complacent on things like this, and need to address it forcefully and quickly.

[crazytown]

4. McCain nixed his campaign from going after Rev. Wright

I will always respect him for that. The last remnants of GOP decency died with him, didn’t they Lindsey?

[still_one]

5. I think he nixed his campaign from chosing Palin as his VP

[Cha]

6. Sunlight is the Best!

Thank you for this, crazytown.. Good to know!

[Garrett78]

7. Democrats as a whole should be talking about "an epidemic of believing nonsense."

Start pushing the idea of media literacy being mandatory curriculum in every school. Point to specific conspiracy theories subscribed to by Cult45 and make it embarrassing for anyone to subscribe to such garbage (so that impressionable people who aren't part of Cult45 but don't necessarily pay close attention to politics) won't fall prey.