Never Trump started on Twitter before the 2016 elections. I’d like to share what we learned because social media this year will be brutal and also an important part of winning the 2024 elections. Never Trumpers originally were Republicans. Then people from across the political spectrum joined in. This is important. Factions who normally were not allies banded together because, while we disagreed on much, we were unified in opposing Trump.
What happened then on social media didn’t stay there. Never Trumpers started PACs, ran for office, got involved in organizing, worked on campaigns, and lots more. Social media this campaign season will also play an important, perhaps crucial, role in forming opinion, convincing voters, and getting out the vote.
And it’s a jungle out there. Be prepared to discover that your favorite political buddies on social media sometimes aren’t at all who they pretend to be. There will be duplicity, double dealing, and outright operatives from opposing sides. Bots will attack in swarms. Trolls will try to get their targets to overreact so they can report them and get them suspended. This will be easy enough for them to do on Twitter, since moderation is mostly non-existent except when favoring the far right.
So, don’t go for the bait. When attacked by MAGAs, block early, block often. Do not amplify them by getting into arguments. If you must respond, screenshot what they said instead of quoting it or linking to it. However, it’s better and more effective to just block.
Bots and trolls can be controlled by central entities, who may not even be in the U.S. and who want to get everyone mad and mistrustful of each other. Russian troll factories are well-known for doing this.
But always attack. Because the goal is to convince and flip those watching the attack. We won’t change hardcode MAGA lumpentrash. We can change others. A change in a few percentage points wins elections. From Rick Wilson.
The autocratic movement in this country never rests. It never sleeps. It’s watch-and-watch 24/7, always-on in its absolute intentionality and determination.
You must attack it without a break.
Clausewitz called the attack the “…weaker form with the positive purpose,” and he was right. It’s more challenging and more costly to attack than to defend, but the attack is where victory is found.
You’ll notice I said “always attack,” not “always communicate,” or “always respond,” or “always wait for the bad guys to bash your skull in with a tire iron before issuing a vaguely condemnatory press release”
Social media is now a major way to organize, get new members, rally around the cause. Let’s use it in the 2024 elections.