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Re:Announcement: RT and Sputnik Advertising by zimpenfish on Thursday October 26, 2017 @10:56AM (#15559363)
One of these has a growing body of evidence behind it[1] and the other is pure wackadoodle gibberish that would make even Flat Earthers ashamed.

[1] I wouldn't say "won" but I would say "definitely helped" - there are a large number of other forces that contributed much, much more to the GOP win than Russia.

Re:Announcement: RT and Sputnik Advertising by davesque on Thursday October 26, 2017 @11:19AM (#15559617)
I would say "won", actually. Think about how the average person behaves. Our community here at Hacker News is unusual. Most people believe whatever they see and tell their friends and family so. Once enough people in a group acquire a belief this way, there's almost no way you can make inroads into their minds. I believe that Russia, and only Russia, won the election in 2016. We just depend too much on the internet for information nowadays and its too easy to disseminate disinformation on that platform.

I mean, come on, a lot of us here know how web sites work. For a major country's spy agency, it would be trivially easy to automate account sign up and posting. Is it that hard to imagine? And when every dumb Joe on the planet is likely to believe the first thing they read that strategically appeals to their emotions? You do the math.

Re:Announcement: RT and Sputnik Advertising by zimpenfish on Thursday October 26, 2017 @11:53AM (#15560012)
> I believe that Russia, and only Russia, won the election in 2016.

The problem is that you also need the gutted Voting Rights Act, rampant GOP gerrymandering, and the ridiculous favouring of Southern States by the Electoral College to get the win - and those have much more of an effect than a Russian finger on the scales.

Re:Announcement: RT and Sputnik Advertising by alva on Thursday October 26, 2017 @11:30AM (#15559754)
> I believe that Russia, and only Russia, won the election in 2016

Who stands to benefit or avoid harm from such a belief? Arguably the people responsible for the national circumstances that lead the population to vote for someone like Trump.

Growing wealth inequality? No, it's Russia

Questionable foreign wars? No, it's Russia

Massively deprived communities across the states? No, it's Russia

Off-shored working/middle class jobs? No, it's Russia

The Russia narrative is extremely attractive to those whose policies have been very unpopular with a large segment of society. Providing this can be kept up through the Trump presidency than the Democrat (and Republican to some extent) lines do not need to change. More of the same. It is not that people don't like our policies, they were just duped by Russia.

To believe that the effects of certain policies have been just rosy for a large section of Americans, is naive. To try and dismiss their views and blame them for being unknown puppets of Russia, is cruel and wrong.

note: I am not suggestion that Russia were not involved in some way in the US election.

Re:Announcement: RT and Sputnik Advertising by DonHopkins on Thursday October 26, 2017 @02:34PM (#15561683)
"Those whose policies have been very unpopular with a large segment of society" just got elected, somehow.
Re:Announcement: RT and Sputnik Advertising by tripplethrendo on Thursday October 26, 2017 @11:02AM (#15559423)
>there are a large number of other forces

Like Hillary being the worst candidate in a lifetime.

Re:Announcement: RT and Sputnik Advertising by davesque on Thursday October 26, 2017 @11:14AM (#15559560)
Think back to where you might have acquired this belief.
Re:Announcement: RT and Sputnik Advertising by DonHopkins on Thursday October 26, 2017 @02:36PM (#15561702)
And be honest about why you're giving Trump such a disproportionate pass.

Would a good candidate brag about grabbing pussies, and attack a gold star family?

Re:Announcement: RT and Sputnik Advertising by CalChris on Thursday October 26, 2017 @08:39PM (#15564591)
Yale Law grad, law partner, First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State. Most Admire Woman in America 21 times. Yep that there is a pretty bad candidate.

But hey, email.