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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to think that there are a huge amount of paid political posters on this forum?

261 replies

deeedeee · 15/05/2017 15:42

50p army indeed? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_Party

It's obvious, but remember to check the parties manifestos and make sure you are voting for the policies you agree with, and not just being influenced by the opinions of others and the politics of inevitability.

OP posts:
BMW6 · 17/05/2017 08:07

Corbyn is very marmite IMHO. I don't think I can recall anyone this polarising since Thatcher.

teawamutu · 17/05/2017 09:11

Ava true up to a point, but when you're I. a very safe constituency for the party you don't want, as i do, there's no chance of getting the mp you want.

The only thing I can do is see my vote as part of the national picture.

BelleTheSheepdog · 17/05/2017 09:15

Yes carol, I would agree there!

citroenpresse · 17/05/2017 09:16

janet your son's teachers are voting labour because they're on low pay? Maybe, as teachers, they can only see further disasters in Tory education plans. More Michael Goves etc. Or they have a social conscious. My 18 year old will be voting for the first time. It won't be Tory. What young person would vote Tory is his view...no longer able to travel and work freely in Europe?

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 17/05/2017 09:24

Or they have a social conscious.

So those that don't vote Labour have no social conscous then? Righto.

JanetBrown2015 · 17/05/2017 09:29

Teachers have always been left wing and low paid and out on strike even back in the 1960s.

The Tories are the best party for us remainers. I have twin 18 year olds. They have not told me how they will vote although they have strong views on all kinds of things. We are all remain in this house including my older son who is Green or a Corbynite. I would guess my daughters and I are Conservatives. I certainly am. My mother never told anyone ever for whom she voted and I have told the twins that is fine too - no obligation to let anyone know. It can save a lot of trouble if you don't discuss religions, politics or money with anyone - very safe policy, then you upset no one.

Slurrycart · 17/05/2017 09:31

Yes - definitely - I first noticed it during the build up to the EU referendum and I reported it to Mumsnet Towers. There were certain kippers (who I won't name) who were banging away on here virtually 24 hrs a day. Afterwards, they melted in to the ether. Definitely an orchestrated campaign.

Orlantina · 17/05/2017 09:46

If you were part of a group trying to change opinion and influence debate, you'd be a fool not to use forums like this.

Other forums are available.

Slurrycart · 17/05/2017 09:53

Maybe but there is a difference between a passionate individual stating their case forcefully and repeatedly and what amounts to orchestrated lobbying. It's deceitful because those involved are not transparent even when directly challenged.

citroenpresse · 17/05/2017 10:16

Voting Tory because of voting remain makes absolutely no sense to me. It seems pretty clear in the negotiating so far May doesn't have a clue how Europe works. The main thing for the election serms to be to put clear water between her and any dissenters including the troublesome ones in her own party. If there's a landslide for the Vote Theresa May party, she believes that the EU will see this as a strong mandate. Nothing of the sort. France have voted in a Pro Europe president, Merkel will winning again, GB will simply be pushed to the sidelines.

GerdaLovesLili · 17/05/2017 10:22

I think we'd be very naive to think there aren't paid social media "specialists" of all political persuasions on here. Sometimes they have all the subtlety of a hammer, and sometimes they're harder to spot. There are definitely a couple of Labour bods who are very obvious and presumably their Conservative/LIb Dem opposite numbers are here too giving us "nudges in the right direction".

WinnieFosterTether · 17/05/2017 10:26

YANBU but tbh they aren't that sophisticated so it's usually blatantly obvious that they're 'professional' supporters.
I also don't think they're that effective. Partly because they're easy to spot. Partly because they don't understand the motivations of the people they are trying to 'convert' and partly because the majority of people in RL don't care what a random poster on MN thinks.
It's odd the parties devote funds to it.It's a strategy that lets them feel they are gaining ground and reinforcing opinions but actually it just creates mini echo chambers which mean they end up surprised when elections don't go the way of opinion polls. Election campaigns on MN and Twitter are completely different from the campaigns on the street and in RL. Sadly some people think social media is RL and then get a shock when the election results come in.

blerp · 17/05/2017 10:27

"there is a difference between a passionate individual stating their case forcefully and repeatedly and what amounts to orchestrated lobbying. It's deceitful because those involved are not transparent even when directly challenged."

I'm as sick of momentum spamming every forum going as much as anyone, BUT

It's OK for people to try and persuade us to vote one way or the other and for us to play spot the bullshit and make up our own minds. We're all adult electors here except those of us who aren't not children.

This is actually how democracy works, people lobby and campaign and the adults voting exercise judgment, and I find it kind of pathetic that people can portray it as somehow cheating and that gets accepted.

The only way this stuff is cheating is if we are all malleable children without our own minds who instantly vote how we are told to by the first man/tabloid newspaper/uni student that gets to us.

RufusTheRenegadeReindeer · 17/05/2017 10:28

I wont vote tory due to the complete fuck of the the state education system in this country

I honestly cannot believe that i am counting down to when my children leave state education

I never thought I would feel this way when ds1 went to school

Orlantina · 17/05/2017 10:29

This is actually how democracy works, people lobby and campaign and the adults voting exercise judgment

Indeed. It's interesting how people can have their views changed.

It's much easier to encourage people to reinforce their opinions rather than change them.

Orlantina · 17/05/2017 10:31

The only way this stuff is cheating is if we are all malleable children without our own minds who instantly vote how we are told to by the first man/tabloid newspaper/uni student that gets to us

Without our own minds? Our minds are susceptible to manipulation though. Keep repeating and reinforcing the same message again and again.

noblegiraffe · 17/05/2017 10:34

Teachers aren't anti Tory because of their pay, teachers are anti Tory because they have to work every day to mitigate the effects of shitty Tory policies.

The Tories have been absolutely dire in terms of education policy, but also they have increased poverty, which has a massive effect on education, cut mental health services (ditto), made things more difficult for disabled people and on and on. We see the effects of Tory policy and it's horrifying.

Orlantina · 17/05/2017 10:39

noble

You'd almost think that social problems outside the classroom had a link to the classroom....

RufusTheRenegadeReindeer · 17/05/2017 10:48

Agree noble

Our school has that stupid fucking speed dating style parents evening

We finished discussing ds2, dh got up to leave, teacher mentioned grade boundaries are i virtually had to be dragged away Smile. The teacher and i were completely united in our opinions

RufusTheRenegadeReindeer · 17/05/2017 10:51

Trouble is i take fucking up the education system as a personal attack on my children Grin

I know rationally that's bollocks, but i do struggle with my temper when the subject comes up

And you do not want to set me off about absence rules in our school in real life

On here i am very restrained

JustAnotherPoster00 · 17/05/2017 10:51

Does anyone have a number I can call to order a 'catalogue of chaos' from?

Do they deliver on weekends? Grin

citroenpresse · 17/05/2017 10:54

what are the obvious signs of a paid MN poster? Somesone said Momentum eh to me (and am not even a member of the labour party).

53rdWay · 17/05/2017 11:01

This is actually how democracy works, people lobby and campaign and the adults voting exercise judgment, and I find it kind of pathetic that people can portray it as somehow cheating and that gets accepted.

There's a difference.

"I'm a nurse from Yorkshire who always votes for party X, but this time round I've decided to vote for Party Y, and you should too!" is indeed 'somehow cheating' if you're actually neither a nurse nor from Yorkshire nor have ever voted for X, and you're actually an employee of party Y being paid to lie.

noblegiraffe · 17/05/2017 11:04

I'm the opposite, Rufus, I have to be restrained in real life so I let loose on here! Grin

Slurrycart · 17/05/2017 11:26

Blerp I hear what you are saying - that we can all make up our minds independently and agree with you - but the particular Brexiteers to whom I was referring, on the EU referendum threads, were on them constantly, during office hours and beyond, all day, every day, which meant that the views of the ordinary poster who had to go and do the shopping or the school run were constantly drowned out. It didn't seem like a very fair playing field.

And yes, we all like to think we make decisions independently without outside influence, but in the case of Brexit, many people were undecided and were learning about the pros and cons through this forum.

The BBC and other broadcasters have rules about balance. It's definitely a tricky area when it comes to social media.