Democrats scrambling to put out the fire they started over fake Russia narrative (soldiers, conspiracy)

[mightleavenyc]

They realize now that spreading fake news to the violent, unhinged left for political reasons can backfire.

https://theintercept.com/2017/03/16/...sia-collusion/

The principal problem for Democrats is that so many media figures and online charlatans are personally benefiting from feeding the base increasingly unhinged, fact-free conspiracies — just as right-wing media polemicists did after both Bill Clinton and Obama were elected — that there are now millions of partisan soldiers absolutely convinced of a Trump/Russia conspiracy for which, at least as of now, there is no evidence. And they are all waiting for the day, which they regard as inevitable and imminent, when this theory will be proven and Trump will be removed.

But on Wednesday night, Morell appeared at an intelligence community forum to “cast doubt” on “allegations that members of the Trump campaign colluded with Russia.” “On the question of the Trump campaign conspiring with the Russians here, there is smoke, but there is no fire at all,” he said, adding, “There’s no little campfire, there’s no little candle, there’s no spark. And there’s a lot of people looking for it.”

[lchoro]

It is essentially a lie.

Key Democratic officials are clearly worried about the expectations that have been purposely stoked and are now trying to tamp them down. Many of them have tried to signal that the beliefs the base has been led to adopt have no basis in reason or evidence.

The media so far hasn't demanded any proof. Push the accusations for too long, and eventually, they'll have to come up with hard evidence.

Hard to believe anyone would believe Trump was trying to appease Russia after his offer on Ukraine. He wanted the Russian government to drop all support for the East Ukrainians separatists and allow a Ukrainian referendum on Crimea, thereby effectively forcing both regions back into the Ukraine.