I was never crazy about Greenwald, and don't care for Snowden. But some of you make me a fanboy

[merrily]

236. Well I did answer, but I will spell it out for you again.

First, I said that it's impossible to tell who is a paid poster and who isn't. That is a general and overarching proposition.

When you asked specifically about critics of Obama, I expressed doubt that anyone would pay the left of the left to post. But, I did not take back any part of the first overarching statement I made, namely, I don't think we can know who is paid and who isn't. That said, I can't imagine who would pay the left of the left to post, though. Someone may, but I cannot imagine who.

As for your additional points:

As far as rightists of any kind passing themselves off as liberals, I don't think they do that very well. I have seen rightists laying low as to their rightist leanings criticize Obama. More often, though (as far as I observed) they jump in and agree when anyone else criticizes Obama on certain things. Things that you would expect a rightist to agree with, though.

This recent exchange might be a good example. I have not read posts on it yet, but I have no doubt some people here might sincerely disagree with it. And that is the kind of post I would expect a rightist to give a +1 (or some equivalent).

Would anyone giving it a +1 automatically be a rightist though? No, because again, I don't know to tell which +1 is sincere is which isn't. I would have to see a pattern of posts from a given poster before I would hazard a guess.

But, on issues, rightists do not do a great job of passing themselves off as liberals. They don't post pro-choice, pro-environment, anti-war, anti-snooping, pro-equal rights for everyone, pro-Social Security, etc. If someone posts that Obama hasn't done enough on the environment, I don't expect to see a + 1(or equivalent) from a rightist poster.


Then again, I am not one who sees everything in terms of being pro-Obama or anti-Obama. Being leftist or rightist is not only about Obama. And, while I can see someone being paid to post anti-Obama to the extent thatI have described above, I cannot see either New Democrats or Republicans paying for posts that are liberal on the issues.