Claude Taylor and his many 'sources'

[melman]

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[oberliner]

1. Some DUers suffer from wishful thinking syndrome

Claude and Louise and others tweet things that would be great if true, so folks want to believe.

[chowder66]

40. More like I told you so syndrome.

From what I have seen, all if not many followers say they do not rely on Mensch, Taylor and others but merely engage for 'entertainment' yet defend them, ruthlessly at times. Some of the defenders are quite horrible and have gone as far as seeking out personal information on people and their families/children who disagree or have something to say about them that is not favorable. It isn't pretty.

Here is what I don't get.... None of it is reliable UNLESS it is corroborated by an established news source. These followers wait to see if it shows up in the press and then they validate themselves and their defense of Taylor/Mensch +.

So why go through the high emotion of unreliable sources just to - know for sure - from established news sources with dependable protocols? I don't get it. Especially with all of the nastiness that surrounds that crowd. Is this what Breitbart readers do I wonder? Wait to see if they can read into anything reported on Fox that they 'read about' on Breitbart?

You would think people would say "HEY wait a minute, these established news sources actually have entire articles written up in the NYT, Washington Post, etc. I think I'll go straight to the story!".

My fear is that people are getting shorter attention spans and can't bother waiting and reading a few paragraphs that are actually hard news. The kind that real reporters, with credentials and real established sources have worked their asses off to produce.

I feel they are using followers lack of knowledge of how things work in government against them and throwing the whole pot of spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks. But, hey, when something gets even remotely close to one of their scenarios/guesses/surmises, what have you.... and is reported on air they can at least run out to say 'I told you so' and move onto the next anticipated shocking scoop that rarely, if ever, materializes. I don't think any of those followers are going back through every tweet by Mensch/Taylor and gang that they have posted about to see what has NOT come to fruition. They might be surprised if they look.

[BeyondGeography]

2. He's a real Mensch

Isn't he?

[Lucky Luciano]

25. Haha! nt

[OKNancy]

3. Thanks for taking the time to post all of these

All those twitter people who say they have inside sources are kooks and/or purposeful liars.
If it is in a reputable mainstream newspaper, then I'll consider it as truthful.

[mn9driver]

4. It's unfortunate that Taylor and Mensch do what they do.

But it is as predictable as sunrise that they would appear on the scene. This kind of thing has happened over and over. There will always be buyers for what they sell.

I'll wait to see what Mueller comes up with.

[Pacifist Patriot]

12. Yep. Me too.

I don't follow either of them on Twitter and the only time I encounter what they've said is here at DU. Clicking on a thread about them is kind of like slowing down to rubber neck a traffic accident. You don't want to do it, but you can't seem to stop your head from turning out of curiosity anyway.

[jberryhill]

5. The phenomenon reminds me of birtherism

There was a rich fabric of arcane nonsense underlying various strains of birtherism. One of my favorites was that Barack Obama's mother somehow managed to revoke his US citizenship when he lived as a minor in Indonesia. Confronting the fact that no one can do that, they developed the theory that it was somehow necessary for him to have re-affirmed his US citizenship after returning to the US and then reaching the age of 18.

Now, take this thing about a secret impeachment proceeding that through odd legal magic requires an official from the Supreme Court (or in other variants from Congress) to serve notice on the White House. Impeachment simply doesn't work that way. However, the will to believe certainly does work that way.

There is a mindset which is disposed to accept as truth whatever it is one is inclined to hope to be true - even if it makes no actual sense. The reactions of anger and distrust toward those who express doubt is an effective mechanism to sow division. But wanting to believe something tends to relax one's critical thinking.

[Lee-Lee]

7. 9/11 trutherism and the sovereign citizen movement follow the same patterns

The 9/11 truthers jump from one theory or the next, taking whatever someone saying things they like says is "science" and running with it and when disproven jump to the next.

The sovereign citizens do the same with the law. They invent new meanings to laws and seek out old laws or case laws that are no longer relevant and then declare they are the final word on the law and nothing superseded it- until they find the next arcane no longer relevant statute to declare rules supreme.

[Foamfollower]

9. It's precisely like Birtherism.

Next up when all of this crap from Taylor and Mensch play out just like every lawsuit of Oaly Taitz, they'll start convening "citizen grand juries".

You can take the crazy out of the batshit, but you'll never get the batshit off the crazy.

[Ligyron]

45. I lived in Ocala, FL when the "citizen grand juries" were a thing.

I think it even started there.

Anyway. they took out billboards on I-75 advertising their brand of stupidity. Ocala is the home of The Villages, the largest senior community in the country. A reliably red area where Dems don't even run a candidate in House races.

FL is a study in contrasts.

[Pacifist Patriot]

13. I agree. Wishful thinking is an easy trap to fall into.

Critical thinking takes more time and effort. Like someone said above, I'll wait for Mueller and see what he's got.

[TomVilmer]

39. For a foreigner USA seems to go totally bonkers after every election....

Nobody want's to accept that they were justly beaten by stupid voters and the parliamentary system, so there simply has to be a big conspiracy behind. And not just done by the winning party - it has to be a global injustice, where all evil in the world are teaming up to harm USA (aka the losing party).

And then we get endless Benghazi-style conspiracy theories running for eternity. All the time the media machine attached to the losing party is shouting, that the newest scandal certainly must bring down this illegal presidency maybe already tomorrow. While at the same time this story telling is mostly unknown for the other sides viewing audience.

And while all this may seem extremely important to the poor losers who are hurting from their loss, the global policy of the superpower is rolling steady as a steamroller along a given agenda, which does not change much over time. Every year USA will find reasons to throw bombs around the globe, sometimes saying they feel sorry they have to, sometime greeting the chance to show their force.

For a foreigner USA seems to go totally bonkers after every election. In my own little country we normally get a bit unhappy, and then the parties starts preparing better politics to win the next election - while we try to work with the people now in charge to find the best solutions possible.

[tazkcmo]

6. Wow.

Somebody has a case of the Mondays!

[pnwmom]

8. Don't you have anything better to do than go after a Democrat who

is rallying the troops and boosting morale?

Why don't you make the same effort analyzing DTs tweets?

[jberryhill]

11. Rallying what troops to do what?

Rallying the troops to eventually distrust elected Democrats and the news media, all of whom are hiding the "good stuff"?

This is the precise mechanism by which elected Republicans came to be disconnected from their constituency who had been led to believe craziness.

Assange was greeted as a hero here at DU

[pnwmom]

15. Taylor is encouraging people not to lose confidence that Mueller and the investigation

will succeed.

He is not encouraging them to distrust elected Democrats.

[jberryhill]

21. So it doesn't matter if anything he says is true or false?

That's just ridiculous.

What investigation is needed, since there are already "sealed indictments" in the wrong federal court at the prompting of a state prosecutor?

[pnwmom]

24. IF there is a sealed indictment of Michael Flynn, to take one possible example,

such as for violating FARA registration laws, that can be used to encourage him to provide evidence they need. It doesn't mean that they should halt all other investigations.

In Watergate there were dozens of convictions. They didn't stop with one indictment.

[jberryhill]

26. Your last sentence is a non-sequitur

The assertion that a state AG somehow participated in proceedings in the FISA court, in pursuit of indictments in a federal district court for violations of federal law, let alone a district in another state entirely, is profoundly stupid and demonstrates complete ignorance of the most basic concepts of jurisdiction.

But, yes, the birthers had their interesting legal theories too.

[iluvtennis]

37. +1000 that Claude's tweets are encouraging. Hope is essential to the cause and he provides that.

[melman]

17. So tell me

How is it that this flea market photographer has SO many sources?* Can you explain how a thing like that makes *any* sense at all?







*besides being 'director of volunteers' a quarter century ago.

[pnwmom]

19. He doesn't claim to have "so" many sources. He has a few

who he connected with decades ago, as the Director of Volunteers, overseeing volunteers around the world -- who went on to other positions during the course of their lives.

Apparently you don't understand how networking, or maybe even friendship, works, but, yes, connections like this can be maintained over decades.

[melman]

35. According to his own tweets posted right here

he has many more than a few.

Strange how someone would so aggressively defend this charlatan, but at the same time make an effort to downplay his claims.

Why would someone feel the need to do that?

My guess would be because it's all so obviously ridiculous even to his biggest fans.


But yeah, on the other hand, maybe I question this blatant flimflam man because I have no friends. Good point. lol

[pnwmom]

36. I've never heard him claim that. Link, please. nt

[Lee-Lee]

46. Can you not read the tweets in the first post

It's literally right there in every one. Highlighted.

Go count how many times he claims a different "source" gave him info.

It's literally in the first post here highlighted in red or bolder in each case. I don't know how you could not have seen it and taken note and still be responding to this thread.

[Ellipsis]

27. kinda spooky isn't?

[onenote]

38. To you he is a Democrat who is rallying the troops and boosting morale

To some of us, he is an attention seeking jerk-wad who delights in taking advantage of his followers' gullibility and lack of knowledge about the legal process.

[grantcart]

43. posting fake breaking news with imaginary sources is the best friend Fox has

Totally undermines actual serious charges by reputable news organizations.

The real question is why do you spend so much effort defending a conservative employed by Rupert Murdoch?

[Foamfollower]

10. And just like the Birthers did with whatever the Birther leader loons spewed,...

people will line up to believe whatever complete load of horseshit Taylor spews.

[jberryhill]

14. Including "sources in British Intelligence..."

Here's an old gem....

---------
“Shrimpton says he was informed that Obama was born in Mombasa, Kenya, in about 1960, which means, he said, the information sits in British intelligence files, because that territory was under the British Empire at the time.

Shrimpton alleged that through DNA tests conducted during Obama’s initial presidential campaign, the CIA established Stanley Ann Dunham was not Obama’s biological mother.

He said Dunham was not pregnant in July 1961, yet it is claimed that she gave birth to Barack Obama Jr. on Aug. 4, 1961.

Shrimpton said it was his understanding that the DNA samples were collected at a fundraising dinner from water glasses that were bagged after the dinner.
--------

It almost seems to be done by the same writers.

[Not Ruth]

16. is Fraude Taylor aligned somehow with The Resistance/Malcolm Nance/puppymnkey?

Claude Taylor used to mostly just confirm Louise Mensch's reporting. Now he gets his own dedicated DEZA. He seems to be moving up in the world.

[sarah FAILIN]

18. if you don't like it, don't read it.

If others want to read it is their choice. I am tired of these attacks when these people are not the ones trying to ruin our country. Keep an eye on the goal. JMO.

[MineralMan]

22. And if you like it, then, well, it MUST be true.

[jberryhill]

28. The use of fake news as a weapon did not end with the election

And it can be used in lots of ways to exploit habits of mind.

It's one of the reasons Dan Rather is not on network television anymore.

And I, like anyone else, will read and comment on what I please without your permission.

[sarah FAILIN]

42. Absolutely

Go right ahead and attack anyone you want no matter what side they say they are on. Obviously that is going to accomplish a lot.
Myself, I have no time for that. I had actually not really been on twitter in over a month as best as I can figure other than seeing clips posted here. I'm too busy with things that are important to going forward. This past weekend I met my SoS, educated him about a little known law he was unaware of and taped an interview with him about his position on the release of voter info which I then spread across my little podunk state. Maybe a gripe session on the value of one twitter feed over another would have been more productive.
I come here for inspiration and information. Slamming anyone but republicans is a waste of time imo.
FWIW, I don't watch soap operas or reality tv either.

[femmocrat]

20. Thanks!

I'm kinda new to Twitter and I was suspicious of his many so-called "sources." I get frequent RT's of his posts but don't follow him myself.

[MineralMan]

23. Wow! Claude Taylor is really reSOURCEful.

Who knew?

[Ellipsis]

30. Curious, has CNN denied the transcript thing yet?

Just sayin'...

[HopeAgain]

31. Thank You!!

Hopefully Mensch is next...

[Loki Liesmith]

32. Claude has 1 legit source I am sure of

The rest...no idea

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

33. Perhaps I can count myself fortunate

that until I opened this thread I'd never heard of Claude Taylor.

I don't do Twitter, which is probably why.

Often, when I see such things here on DU, I'm reminded of back when kids were in elementary school, and some hot bit of gossip would start circulating among the moms. I always said, "Consider the source" because certain moms always spread juicy and highly inaccurate stuff.

[Ligyron]

47. and it is often added to each time it's repeated.

Did they alter/modify any re-tweets yet?

IDK.

[L. Coyote]

34. Wow, you found a fake Twitter account created to harass a real person. How coool is that?

All mothers wish they had such talented children, I'm sure, skilled in Photoshop, forgery, lying, and attacking journalism. Even Trump must love this Twitter fake, and we know how Trump hates all thing fake, like fake universities, etc.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Not Ruth]

44. This is more likely to be reverse GLOMAR

Claude Taylor is in a Twitter War.

Many on both sides are blocked, with no way to cross the border.

How do you communicate with TeamPatriot if they are stuck behind the lines?

By using a "burner".

A GLOMAR account that conceals information so that only those that need to know can know.

This account is likely to be unblocked by TeamDEZA.

It is therefore perfect.

Link to tweet

[4139]

41. Shhh, I think I know the name of his #1 go to source.... Jack Daniels

[Qutzupalotl]

48. That's a pretty amateurish "takedown."

For one thing, none of the links point to the original posts (which would provide context) — they only point to the propagandist's doctored images.

For another...Claude asked questions in March, therefore he's not...what, omniscient? What is that supposed to prove?

Claude uses "Deep State" ironically, so trying to make it sound extra spooky is grasping at straws.

The rest is just childish mocking which proves nothing.

Taylor has said he will discuss his sourcing with any national reporter. I guess the propagandist is not one.

Meanwhile, Taylor was right about Chaffetz leaving office, Schneiderman and Boente handling cases of Trump associates, the raid on Strategic Campaign Group (hours before it happened), the VA grand jury subpoenas seeking records of Flynn associates, and more. He has been up front about the limits of his sources; for example, he is unwilling to confirm Pence's involvement because his sources don't know.

He very pointedly does NOT ask his readers to be complacent, but rather insists that they find ways big and small to resist every day, any way they can.

There's a reason the propagandist went to all this trouble to create this account and all the images, but it's not for their comedic value.