Thanks for sharing this! I'm wondering if maybe we have yet another "tell." You say your people are echoing my friend almost word for word? Hmmmm...

See that tells me about packaging. And marketing. They're all saying the same things? "Almost word for word"? That is, it's not just the same sort of theme or general theme or complaint. These are specific wordings and phrasings that are carefully coordinated and Frank-Luntz-focus-tested and approved. These friends of ours seem, evidently, to be getting these same parroted talking points from the same sources. Hmmmmm...

And then I want to try to figure out where they're getting this from. What/who are they (apparently) all watching/listening to? Radio? Hate radio undoubtedly. limbaugh? Cable? Pox Noise? If they read, it's probably the internet, and which sources? Breitbart? Drudge? Alex fucking Jones? There are other crackpots and propaganda crankers and would-be perception managers generating this shit that people we care about swallow whole without even chewing. They're nicely softened up, already, and easily baited.

Back in the bush/cheney days we used to grouse and gripe about what was called the "blast fax" and the "mighty Wurlitzer." Organized and coordinated propaganda campaigns - on a daily basis, that pushed memes and framings and catchy ways to word things. Pushed the sloganeering - stuff you could use to argue your point in the elevator or the checkout line or while waiting for the bus or some such. Quick hits. Soon came to be referred to as "bumpersticker politics" - slogans or phrases or points you could make that would fit on a bumper sticker. Making the most of the low-information short-attention-span recipients. They're already dumbed down. So exploit the hell out of it for fun and profit and White House appointments!

And by all means repeat, repeat, repeat, and then repeat as necessary. Cuz repetition is important. Why do you think trump repeats himself and all his favorite little buzz phrases all the time - usually by threes? Anybody remember how dubya himself talked about how a big part of his job was "to kind of catapult the propaganda"? Once you have the message pre-written, massaged, tested, and okay'd, spread it far and wide! Sell the hell out of it! You've already got the script. Now take it on the road! (Especially if you photograph well!)

Gotta know the enemy. Know and understand what they do and how and why. With what means. The more you dig down, the more vulnerabilities you can find. You better believe Vladimir Putin is a freakin'-ass MASTER of this game. He was head of the KGB forcryingoutloud!