# Internet support intensity vs. real world support **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 1, 2019, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975 "2019-08-01T02:22:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/1 "2019-08-01T02:22:38Z")
I’ve notice that some of the democratic candidates seem to have far more intense levels of support on the internet than they seem to have in the real world. I’m thinking specifically of Bernie Sanders, Andrew Yang, and Tulsi Gabbard. Any ideas on why this is occurring? Are the reasons different for each of the three candidates. Could any of this be due to foreign troll farm type activity? I don’t know, but would like to know what the story is here. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/2 "2019-08-01T13:26:59Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > I’ve notice that some of the democratic candidates seem to have far more intense levels of support on the internet than they seem to have in the real world. I’m thinking specifically of Bernie Sanders, Andrew Yang, and Tulsi Gabbard. Well, I think it is well understood that “people who interact/protest a lot on the internet” and “voters” are not largely overlapping. > [@E-DUB](#): > > Could any of this be due to foreign troll farm type activity? . Could be. They would probably push for candidates that they think would not win in the national election. ---
**Author:** ![Sterling\_Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Sterling\_Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterling_Archer)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/3 "2019-08-01T15:29:42Z")
I think Yang has a small group of very vocal supporters. Williamson has a little of that, but I think she’s also getting troll/4chan support because she is so out there. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/4 "2019-08-01T15:52:29Z")
This isn’t a phenomenon limited to Presidential candidates. The internet gives birth to lots of intense fringy groups. I’m sure you can find lots of reading on the subject but basically people can more easily find people with similar fringy views, get into a social media bubble and whip themselves up. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/5 "2019-08-01T16:19:50Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > I’ve notice that some of the democratic candidates seem to have far more intense levels of support on the internet than they seem to have in the real world. I’m thinking specifically of Bernie Sanders, Andrew Yang, and Tulsi Gabbard. Any ideas on why this is occurring? Are the reasons different for each of the three candidates. Could any of this be due to foreign troll farm type activity? I don’t know, but would like to know what the story is here. Absolutely, at least in the case of Sanders, [we know that he received Russian support in 2016](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/16/bernie-sanders-russia-2016-election-interference-415691). ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/6 "2019-08-01T19:41:30Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > I’ve notice that some of the democratic candidates seem to have far more intense levels of support on the internet than they seem to have in the real world. I’m not doubting your premise, but what is it that you have noticed and how are you perceiving that there is a difference? ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/7 "2019-08-01T21:13:06Z")
I spend a lot of time online and tend to scan comments sections. Now Gabbard and Yang are hovering at, what, 1 or 2 percent but any mention of them tends to generate a lot of positive comments (most of which also take potshots at other candidates). Now with Bernie, I get it. Second time around the track. A lot of devoted followers, etc. Yang, I can even understand that. The novelty factor. The Outsider. But how do you explain Tulsi? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/8 "2019-08-01T21:54:34Z")
I think that the internet gives fringe groups a community that enables them to seed messages and build communities. What’s changed since the days of Ron Paul (2002-2005) is that payment platforms made funding easier. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/9 "2019-08-01T23:29:27Z")
There’s a nice expression someone I follow on Twitter who analyses this sort of stuff uses: \*\*Cuomo’s Law \*\* The meaning of it is that during the New York Gubernatorial Primary last year between incumbent Andrew Cuomo and the actress turned progressive activist Cynthia Nixon, social media would have made you think Nixon was set to win and win big. Comments on Cuomo were exceedingly negative whereas Nixon became a social media sensation. Furthermore in their sole debate Nixon called him corrupt, a liar, a corporate shill. She really went all out. Come the election result - Cuomo won with almost 66% of the vote. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2019, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/10 "2019-08-02T02:52:15Z")
So why aren’t the candidates with larger followings having the same thing happen with them? I mean if you can get that many folks from the smaller following of Candidate X why aren’t you getting the same thing only more so from the larger following of Candidate Y? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2019, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/11 "2019-08-02T03:00:31Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > So why aren’t the candidates with larger followings having the same thing happen with them? I mean if you can get that many folks from the smaller following of Candidate X why aren’t you getting the same thing only more so from the larger following of Candidate Y? You do, to a degree, but they are swamped out by “normal” people. In both of Hillary’s primaries, there was definitely some knife out Hillary or bust types circling the internet. But if you don’t have some oddball ideas then you are somewhat less likely to attract oddball followers. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/12 "2019-08-08T19:36:18Z")
Simple explanation. The candidates you mention are all more popular with young voters than older ones, and younger people use the internet more. There are a lot of Biden voters out there, but most of them need to call their grandkids to help them log into AOL. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/13 "2019-08-08T19:55:30Z")
Yeah, I see it as the Dewey Defeats Truman effect. Back then, the headline was allegedly based on polls to people with phones in their home. Gauging public opinion by watching Twitter in 2016 or 2019 is basically the same as getting opinions only from people with home phones in 1948. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/14 "2019-08-08T19:57:34Z")
> [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > Simple explanation. The candidates you mention are all more popular with young voters than older ones, and younger people use the internet more. There are a lot of Biden voters out there, but most of them need to call their grandkids to help them log into AOL. Or, a more charitable description would be, they exist in the real world, not just online. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/15 "2019-08-08T20:06:47Z")
I just read the OP. I didn’t want to read the other comments until I made my own, (I will). There is a huge disconnect between TV people and YouTube people. Running a TV at on a highly rated show is not the best way to get across the people under a certain age, often. People don’t watch NBC Fox or CNN for their news, on the very left they watch ‘David Pakman’ ‘Secular Talk’ ‘Young Turks’ and ‘The Minority Report with Sam Seder.’ They’re whole different worlds. Some people are really out of touch with that. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/16 "2019-08-08T20:10:47Z")
Bernie was just on Joe Rogan Podcast the other day and it’s still 1 trending on YouTube. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/17 "2019-08-08T20:10:56Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > Or, a more charitable description would be, they exist in the real world, not just online. They exist on Facebook. Go to a major news outlet’s page (not right wing obviously) and the comments on pieces about Biden are much more supportive. Do the same on twitter and it’s much more negative. For two reasons I think… 1. Facebook has an older demographic of users 2. Twitter is much more informal and open to echo chambers. Number 1 is pretty obvious. Number 2 reflects that facebook is personal and formal — people use their real names, their family and friends see your posts and it’s supposed to be about connections. Twitter however allows for more anonymity, it allows you to curate your feed in a manner much more user friendly (you can hours scrolling through twitter or using a basic search to see what’s happening…people aren’t refreshing their facebook feeds every two minutes). Take the Biden fundraiser comments that caused so much furore. It happened because a reporter present tweeted out an isolated (without context) quote and in minutes it blew up. You don’t have that power of outreach on facebook. But what you do have on facebook are rank and file voters who do not consume themselves with politics or spend their entire days online. Biden is reaching those voters. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/18 "2019-08-08T20:14:13Z")
> [@Boycott](#): > > Take the Biden fundraiser comments that caused so much furore. It happened because a reporter present tweeted out an isolated (without context) quote and in minutes it blew up. You don’t have that power of outreach on facebook. But what you do have on facebook are rank and file voters who do not consume themselves with politics or spend their entire days online. Biden is reaching those voters. And the numbers seem to suggest that group is still predominant, in spite of what others may wish. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/19 "2019-08-08T20:15:36Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > I just read the OP. I didn’t want to read the other comments until I made my own, (I will). > > There is a huge disconnect between TV people and YouTube people. Running a TV at on a highly rated show is not the best way to get across the people under a certain age, often. People don’t watch NBC Fox or CNN for their news, on the very left they watch ‘David Pakman’ ‘Secular Talk’ ‘Young Turks’ and ‘The Minority Report with Sam Seder.’ > > They’re whole different worlds. > > Some people are really out of touch with that. And those people are out of touch with the other world. Goes both ways. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975/20 "2019-08-08T20:21:44Z")
Young people won’t forgive bidding for what he said about millennials. …just wanted to add that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-support-intensity-vs-real-world-support/837975.md?page=2)