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CNN: Russian-linked Facebook ads targeted Michigan and Wisconsin

kirblar

Member
Shocking news. http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/03/politics/russian-facebook-ads-michigan-wisconsin/index.html

The drip-feed continues from the Senate Panel documents. Burr and Warner have a press conference tomorrow, which may or may not be related.
A number of Russian-linked Facebook ads specifically targeted Michigan and Wisconsin, two states crucial to Donald Trump's victory last November, according to four sources with direct knowledge of the situation.

Some of the Russian ads appeared highly sophisticated in their targeting of key demographic groups in areas of the states that turned out to be pivotal, two of the sources said. The ads employed a series of divisive messages aimed at breaking through the clutter of campaign ads online, including promoting anti-Muslim messages, sources said.

It has been unclear until now exactly which regions of the country were targeted by the ads. And while one source said that a large number of ads appeared in areas of the country that were not heavily contested in the elections, some clearly were geared at swaying public opinion in the most heavily contested battlegrounds.

Michigan saw the closest presidential contest in the country -- Trump beat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by about 10,700 votes out of nearly 4.8 million ballots cast. Wisconsin was also one of the tightest states, and Trump won there by only about 22,700 votes. Both states, which Trump carried by less than 1%, were key to his victory in the Electoral College.

The sources did not specify when in 2016 the ads ran in Michigan and Wisconsin.
As part of their investigations, both special counsel Robert Mueller and congressional committees are seeking to determine whether the Russians received any help from Trump associates in where to target the ads.
 

Rhaegar

Member
It’s a good thing nobody with intricate knowledge of the American electorate worked with Russia to target these ads!
 

kirblar

Member
Even Russia knows the importance of these states, but not Hillary's campaign.
Mook being given VA as a "starter" campaign turned out to be a big issue when he used the VA playbook nationwide. The strategy works in red/purple states going purple/blue,but not at all in rust belt states bleeding population.
 

royalan

Member
Even Russia knows the importance of these states, but not Hillary's campaign.

Or maybe it was targeted interference by a foreign power that contributed to Hillary's loss in states that every reputable poll showed her leading in comfortably for months before the election?

I mean, can we get over Hillary? As more and more of these stories come out revealing the sophistication behind Russia's meddling in our elections, I'm terrified for 2018/20. That's the important thing to take from this.

As a nation, we STILL aren't prepared. And now we have an administration AND party in control that has a vested interest in making sure Russia will have an EASIER go of fucking with us next time.
 

NetMapel

Guilty White Male Mods Gave Me This Tag
Why do the Russians know to target those states and not Hillary’s campaign? Just unbelievable...
 

Arkeband

Banned
What's russias endgame?

Weaken American Goverment? Sow Chaos? Complete Global Saturation?

"Wow, Americans are fucking idiots, I bet we can show how democracy is flawed by getting tricking their idiots into elect an even bigger idiot. Holy shit, it worked."
 

Neoweee

Member
You act like those "progressives" who were just looking for an excuse to farther demonize Hillary didn't also get played.

Yeah, there are still many shoes to drop regarding the primary. How much of Sanders4President was actually just Russians?
 
Or maybe it was targeted interference by a foreign power that contributed to Hillary's loss in states that every reputable poll showed her leading in comfortably for months before the election?

I mean, can we get over Hillary? As more and more of these stories come out revealing the sophistication behind Russia's meddling in our elections, I'm terrified for 2018/20. That's the important thing to take from this.

As a nation, we STILL aren't prepared. And now we have an administration AND party in control that has a vested interest in making sure Russia will have an EASIER go of fucking with us next time.

Quoted for truth.

If I recall correctly, it was only those two states where the polling was so wrong from literally everyone. Hillary had a consistent lead of +6/+7 for 2+ months but in other swing states only +2/+3 (Comey letter). To this day there's no answer for why the polling was so wrong and that's really important for 2018/2020.
 

Vestal

Junior Member
It’s almost as if Russia meddled in our election 🤔

But why???

CeKmCRf.gif
 

Neoweee

Member
Quoted for truth.

If I recall correctly, it was only those two states where the polling was so wrong from literally everyone. Hillary had a consistent lead of +6/+7 for 2+ months but in other swing states only +2/+3 (Comey letter). To this day there's no answer for why the polling was so wrong and that's really important for 2018/2020.

There's totally an answer for why the polling was wrong. Polling firms re-weight for race, but not on education level, from whoever responds to the surveys. If they had weighted by education level as well, polling would have been really damn accurate.

It is a change that many firms will be pushing going forward.
 

Nafai1123

Banned
The worst part is the people who got played by this shit don't want to accept it, because that would imply they're easily manipulated, so they just double down on the bullshit.
 

majik13

Member
Why do the Russians know to target those states and not Hillary’s campaign? Just unbelievable...

now that has my conspiracy brain thinking that someone inside Hillarys campaign or maybe even more Russian meddling,duped them from going there?

Thought I recalled reading they have people going to these states and they were called back while on the road?
 

Neoweee

Member
Pretty much...

I'm from the alternate dimension where she pulled resources from other states to visit Wisconsin and Michigan 10 times each and won both states. She still lost the election, because it turns out that basic math is still a thing over here.
 

Steel

Banned
What's russias endgame?

Weaken American Goverment? Sow Chaos? Complete Global Saturation?

Whatever they can get away with. They probably think that most of what they try won't have much of an effect, but when if it does there's a pretty big payoff.
 

Valhelm

contribute something
pretty wild that some random Russian agents were better at campaigning than the entire Hillary campaign
 
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