because that is the "modern slang" term for what is happening - basically provoking or baiting someone to irritate them and generate an often defensive or angry response.

Thanks for the definition of trolling...

the Epstein files in order to harass the GOP (and do it with one word - preferably a verb or adverb)?

I suppose there are those out there who would say "stupid".

the "Hey Boomer" slurs hurled against the older demographics.

I remember when some of the (white) masses saw the "early" Obama doing a "fist bump".

The GOP jumped on that hand gesture - an updated and "modern" form of hand-greeting within the POC community, that was immediately dubbed a "terrorist first bump".

"The New Yorker" attempted to lampoon that RW idiocy with this -



and all that did was to fan the flames, not only within the GOP but the Democratic party.

This country has a fucking RACE problem and "the majority" race in this country needs to fucking deal with it.

That's a new one on me.

I also don't see how "hey boomer" comes into this. When you saying someone is "trolling", you're saying they're not serious. Are you saying that not only are young people claiming differently, but they think they've taken ownership of the word so fully that they think "boomers" are ridiculous for thinking that saying "trolling" implies non-seriousness?

including different demographics - whether by age or by someone's ethnicity/culture - and how it will VARY.

E PLURIBUS UNUM.

But for some, they refuse to deal with the "E PLURIBUS" part and only want the "UNUM", with monolithic dialog and interpretations of slang terminology.

I always hated the use of the term "DUDE!" and would always respond with "DUDETTE". But I know that is slang, supposedly without a gender assignment (it's an exclamation), although in the past, "DUDE" was a "masculine" form.

Among the Gen Alphas today (where I have grand-nephews and my youngest nephews in that group), they don't use "DUDE!". If I ever used that term with them, they would look at me like I lost my mind. They use "BRUH!"

To me "BRUH" is another "masculine" but I just go with it because it is SLANG with a specific meaning for specific groups and like "DUDE", is an exclamation - often of exasperation.

Here in Philly, we use the term "JAWN". It was thought to have evolved from the slang "JOINT" (as in a club). It has different meanings that vary from being a noun (to describe some object) or an adjective, to describe how amazing something is.

ALL OF THIS IS SLANG.

I don't understand why this concept is so difficult to understand or accept unless one has made a conscious decision to live in a homogeneous bubble and expect homogeneous discourse in a heterogeneous world.

I would say that professional writers on politics ought to think whether most people will have a different interpretation of a word than the one that they might mean ("might", because we still don't know what Jonathan Cooper actually intended - it's possible that he did want to imply that the Democrats aren't serious about it).

This is not about whether the word choice gets clicks and views. It's about whether it is either understood by the typical reader, or if it's actually meant as a criticism of Democrats for talking about Epstein. Either way, AP is producing poor journalism.

with respect to the media and "journalism" in general?

As you know, the U.S. media has evolved into a panoply of corporate owners with an agenda and have slowly reorganized (eliminating Editors) and have driven away some of the best writers - columnists, reporters, and opinion writers - ALL for "the bottom line". They don't give a shit about "the reader" as long as they get those clicks and views and subscriptions to show to their advertisers so they can charge them some "x" amount to advertise on the site, and promise them that the "readers/viewers" are there.

There are a few "big indies" out here like The Guardian (who I recently did a full sub with) or Mother Jones (who I have subbed to for awhile now), but the rest have been bought up by conglomerates or billionaires (with majority stake).

I know one of the biggest complaints on DU has been about the "clickbait headlines" (and that includes all the various political videos that are posted). It's the world that we live in now.

But then somehow, since they have pretty much taken over a significant portion of the "information transmittal" (outside of the broadcast media, which is even worse), we have to sift through it to "get the main idea" and then move on.

for the political commentary, and artistically (I'm an artist/illustrator), that OBL's "portrait", or the burning American flag in the fire place; didn't stick with me! Ha. Great, sarcastic illustration!

In tbe deluge of insults, defamation etc (including from u-know-who) hurled at the them - I'm not sure I actually heard about "the 🙄 terrorist fist bump" insult! Wow.

doesn't believe what they are claiming, or that they are simply saying it to elicit a negative reaction. To say I am "trolling" ICE by comparing them in a historically accurate context to the Gestapo is not an accurate representation of what I am doing. It denigrates my actions by invalidating the motivation and ignoring the accuracy of the action.

I remember a year or so ago before the election, people on DU pounced on the term "woke". They were vicious in their nastiness about that slang term and not only insisted that no one (and especially Democrats) use the term, but they were convinced that it was evil, on par with "antifa" and "defund the police", despite others trying to explain what it meant, and how it evolved from Millennial-speak.

Sometimes "slang" is just "slang".

"Woke" has indeed become a word that the right successfully deployed against all kinds of good people. I don't think the others who tried to explain its original meaning have been shown to have been wiser. Those who said "don't use 'woke', it'll end up being used against people or stances you use it for" seem to have read the discourse better.

it only underscores the problem of white supremacy in this country and not just among the GOP.

I was never opposed to "woke", or "liberal" for that matter. I proudly answer to both.

Demanding to see documents and evidence of rape, human trafficking and pedophilia that (might possibly) involve the POTUS ... that's NOT trolling. These are serious legal and constitutional issues that transcend Party loyalties.

intentional destruction of food meant for hungry children. Americans are generous and caring people as seen by their charity to hunger. The fact that Trump is a pervert is no surprise to anybody and it doesn’t seem to bother most people other than politicians trying to score points for their side.

don't care about -

1.) hungry children ( "Get a job!!!11!1!1!1" )
2.) elderly ( "Get job!!1!!!!!111" )
3.) disabled ( "Get a job!!111!!!!" )
4.) homeless ( "Get a job!!111!!111!!" )
5.) schools ( "Should be churches!!!11!!1!!" )
6.) libraries ( "Lib indoctrination factories!!11!!1!!" )
7.) healthcare ( "Survival of the fittest!!11!!111!!!" )

In other words, they (this specific group) are not listening and think they are being asked to participate in a "pity party" if you keep insisting that they care about these things.

This is why THAT group is being "trolled" with their own medicine.

Why should we waste time trolling maggots when the majority of the country is waiting for us to back them up with real anger about the horrible stuff they are doing?

The more the GOP is focused on their own in-fighting, which is in turn magnified by the media that fed them in the first place, the less they can trigger in-fighting amongst Democrats when it comes to subjects like Mamdani vs Cuomo or "auto-pens", or like is about to happen imminently - the reappearance of Hunter Biden.

I truly think the "average", non-politically obsessed person knows it's bad. But when you have times like this, these people will find ways to TUNE OUT and try to focus on "self-preservation". They will go run off and turn on "Love Island" or binge "White Lotus" or whatever nonsense show.

Unfortunately, DU is a microcosm of this world and "tactics" to "get through to people" will obviously vary.

But we are watching the political parties themselves, at that higher level, engaging in tit for tats to "control the messaging". It's not the "average Democratic voter" doing this - it's the party leaders and operatives.

Make a scene. Over and over and over through the summer.Never give up. Never relent.

Make theG.O.P. Felon-in-Chief take responsibility for pedophilia.

...any 'client list' released by trump will probably contain mostly Dems and a maybe a couple ungrateful pukes...

...republicans...

If that WERE the case, those names would have literally been released ON DAY ONE. The main thing they might have are the same "publicly available pics" of Clinton with Epstein at various events. But if there were any (D)s - especially any still alive and/or who are in leadership positions or at least still in elective office, then that would have been showcased.

or destruction of Constitutional rights, destruction of public health, stealing the medal the Chelsea team was supposed to get, but traitor felon stole (someone is making another real medal for the team) or destruction of the Dept. of Education, destroying food meant for starving children, really troll them on any of the crimes felon traitor and his gang of monsters are committing every minute of every day.

I am sure that AI is busy re-creating suitable purged, faded and creased versions for public release.

Taking a lot of time, even for AI. Wonder what's the problem.

keep making the demands and remind people the Convicted Felon is all over the files and list. It will not split the cult. Those people are hopeless. But, it may influence the 'non-voter' and the marginal voters to get out in the specials and mid-terms.

Its not going to be the only one.
Dems need to fight fire with fire.