Head Tale

I occasionally post on Reddit but most of my comments get a handful of upvotes (maybe) then disappear into obscurity.

Lately, as I’ve been following the Bernie Sanders campaign from afar and knowing how much the campaign is being driven by Reddit users, I’ve been a bit more active than usual adding my theories, observations and/or snark on various topics related to Sanders’ run for President.

Tonight, I threw out a quick jab in a discussion about a recent development where, about a week ago, Hillary was being all high & mighty and saying Bernie’s should “watch his tone”.

It seemed like a weird comment at the time since Bernie Sanders has been relentlessly positive and refusing to get dirty about Clinton’s various faults and scandals or even to directly attack her by name, instead choosing to link her into a wider problem with American politics.

But that comment about “tone” appears to be a set-up by the Clinton campaign so she’d have an excuse to start going negative on Sanders – who is relentlessly gaining on her – which she has done in the last 24 hours.  This includes her making a disgusting attack on Sanders that attempts to tie him to the shooting at Sandy Hook by saying he supports gun manufacturers over victims of gun violence.

I posted a quick comment, almost as a throwaway joke, expecting to maybe get a 10 or 20 upvotes which is what my most popular Bernie comments tend to get.

Instead, in a couple short hours, it’s become my most Upvoted comment ever on Reddit (and still going up as I type this – now at 1348)!

Plus people are also re-posting this comment on Twitter (and probably other places as well.)

As always, things like this make me contemplate the ever-changing role of social media in politics.

I mean, on one hand, lots of people still say social media can’t impact elections.  But every election that goes by, I say the influence of social media only grows.

My quick comment has been seen by *at least* 1200 people in a matter of a couple hours.  If something goes really viral, it can be seen by millions in that same time frame.

No doubt about it – that can have a YUGE impact! 😉