All right gang. Everybody's a little on edge. A little tense, a little nervous. Jumpy, antsy, snippy. Heck, even our nation's Supermommy, Sarah Palin, couldn't help but make a sarcastic little snip at her seven year old daughter on national TV.
But there's one thing that we've gotta make clear, because frankly, it's pissing me off. And I do this not as a Kossack, not as a Democrat, but as a man angling for a Cabinet-level job in new Department of Internet Propriety.
We gotta make it clear what a concern troll is.
Concern trolling is something specific. It has a meaning. It's not just someone who's concerned about something. A haiku is not just a three-line poem, and a concern troll is not just antsy, anxious, and nervous.
Wikipedia:
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.
So clearly, any concern troll has to be opposed to Obama. I've seen longtime users, solid Democrats, called concern trolls because they jump when Zogby says boo. It's understandable, but it's misplaced fear. Steer'em to Nate and www.fivethirtyeight.com, don't tell them to go back to Free Republic.
Secondly, while the "OMG we're down!" style of post does seem to sow fear, uncertainty, and doubt within the group, it doesn't accomplish the goals of a concern troll, which would be to hurt the Obama campaign. We're always telling each other to imagine we're down three points; a McCain operative wouldn't tell us that McCain is closing the gap in Pennsylvania since that would only make us donate more and work harder.
Wiki gives us some examples of concern trolling:
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[14]
See how that's different? An equivalent troll would should up with every poll from Georgia that has Jim Martin down and tell us it's a waste of time, and we should work instead to firm up Mark Udall's race. Saying something like "I'm really afraid that the Democrats are overreaching this year and the GOP is going to steal all those close seats. Let's work on our best chances, and make sure we keep a majority (with Lieberman) instead of going for 60." See the difference?
Another example:
[They] profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
See gay marriage. A concern troll doesn't say "OH SHIT!!!! THE FIELD POLL SAYS PROP 8 iS DOWN 5!" That doesn't help the bigots. A concern troll says "Obama needs black voters to turn out in record proportions, this year, and blacks tend to be against gay marriage. We should ignore Prop 8 for now - even though I support gay marriage - and focus on keeping Obama ahead" or just "Why now? We can pass gay marriage later"
And I've got one more definition:
* "Concern Trolls". Marginally more clever, they pretend at being progressive Democrats, but at every turn seem to suggest the most obviously damaging or boneheaded or offensive thing they can.
That's the dkosopedia. That's our official definition.
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In any case, I wouldn't be surprised if their were some right wingers showing up, opening accounts, and writing diaries about the latest Drudge shock-poll bullshit. Their goal isn't really to discourage us or anything so elaborate, they're just being obnoxious and assholes. They enjoy watching us worry, even if there's no political effect. Or else they're neutral, and just want to get a big thread going with their name on the top of it so they try to be controversial. Let's call them "anxiety trolls" unless anyone can think of something better. If Rachel Maddow is being pessimistic on TV to drive up her ratings, that's being an anxiety troll.
Everyone cool?