Russian election meddling, which a whole lot of people still blame for Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016, wasn’t talked about very much until Donald Trump won. First was the narrative that the election was “hacked” — Green Party candidate Jill Stein, learning that voting machines weren’t linked to the internet, surmised instead that Russian agents sneaked into polling places with floppy disks and reprogrammed the voting machines.
Eventually, hacking became meddling, which then became Russians buying Facebook ads showing a devil-horned Clinton preparing to box Jesus and Bernie Sanders in a Speedo doing muscle poses.
There really has never been a satisfactory explanation of why the Obama administration didn’t seem to do anything about Russian meddling in the 2016 election, seeing as it happened on their watch. We learned in 2018 that Obama’s cyber chief was ordered to “stand down” against Russian cyberattacks in summer 2016.
Now the New York Times is suggesting that it was Republicans to blame for any Russian election interference, according to a new Senate report:
A U.S. Senate report released on Thursday says Republican congressional leaders’ refusal to publicly acknowledge Russian election interference in 2016 contributed to a watered-down response by the Obama administration https://t.co/cdn1EGB7BR
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 6, 2020
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Erin Schaff reports:
The report painted the Obama administration as moving too slowly and indecisively to address the interference or to counter it, and it cited the “heavily politicized environment” in American politics in 2016 as one factor preventing a more forceful response.
Though separate from its central findings, the mention of Republican congressional leaders’ role in forestalling a stronger response was notable for a report from a Republican-led committee.
So Republicans pounced … on themselves?
Look at what those damn Republicans didn't stop Obama from doing! https://t.co/5i50imDxZu
— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) February 7, 2020
Crazy I know…. But maybe why not add the Real Story here….
The dishonest framing of this story is crazy…. Here is the 3rd graph that somehow isn’t the headline:
“The bulk of the report focuses its criticism on the Obama administration”
But let's just leave this OUT!
— Georgia (@DGC_2020) February 6, 2020
You mean the Russian interference everyone in Government knew was going on, but no one on either side cared or bothered to do anything, as they deemed it to be completely insignificant, right up until the point……………. Trump won.
— Ed Jackson (@Roderickoooo) February 6, 2020
That’s the ticket, we’ll blame the Republicans in Congress for something the Executive Branch under Obama was supposed to manage.
— ATX Libertarian (@libertyinatx) February 6, 2020
NBC says something different pic.twitter.com/t2w8ALkbpw
— George Brown (@georgebrownmem) February 6, 2020
I see a lot of people just grab headlines, so perhaps I’ll share what’s actually inside. Try reading more than just the big bold letters pic.twitter.com/iR9K5aA2vF
— Cole (@MayBNxtYrInCLE) February 6, 2020
The best you could come up with is Obama was indecisive because the Republicans took so long to make their “official” stance known first?
Or is it implying that Obama needed their permission before allowing the @FBI investigate a national security threat?
— JW theGavel (@GAVEL2763) February 6, 2020
Still protecting the Preciousssss even long after he’s gone. Adorable.
— Carl Gustav (@CaptYonah) February 6, 2020
He couldn’t stand up to Putin without Senate Republicans? Wha?
— The Rick Lagina (@NotRickLagina) February 6, 2020
As if @BarackObama cared about Republicans, absurd.
— Ali (@guerra1_b) February 7, 2020
Spin the story to suit your narrative
— Mage (@Magemagic1) February 7, 2020
@BarackObama was the president and could have done something except he was too busy spying on @realDonaldTrump
— Marco Mazzocco, CFA (@MarcoMNYC) February 7, 2020
Pretty sure @DevinNunes warned the administration and they ignored him. Probably because they were planning their own “Russian interference”
— Jill (@acapri74) February 7, 2020
Sounds like a Democrat talking point
— Dan Nelson (@IlliniDan2) February 6, 2020
I have doubts that's what the report actually says, based on the NYT never reporting anything correctly.
— Mark Thoman (@MarkThoman) February 7, 2020
New York times readers reading only headlines to get their talking points
— Midwest Minuteman (@stopurbull) February 7, 2020
This is an amazing headline, even for them.
— CtotheD (@ctothed1) February 7, 2020
This is complete drivel.
— @ (@Adam96818310) February 7, 2020
The headline is misleading, and the contents of the article do not support the allegation of the headline. And there is absolutely no evidence that a single vote was changed by the alleged Russian interference.
More fake news.
— George K Stevens (@xdemo2016) February 6, 2020
Sorry, a "response" implies he did something to stop the interference.
Instead, he aided it. https://t.co/mml5a3wdL6
— marccarpenter (@marccarpenter3) February 6, 2020
Never mind that President Obama ordered our cyber security forces to stand down when notified of the attempted meddling.?
— StoneKold (@StonKold) February 7, 2020
Maybe Susan Rice telling the government to stop opposing the interference had something to do with it.
— Comsen (@Comsen21) February 7, 2020
Thanks, Obama.
— JDubF (@JDubF4) February 6, 2020
— *My*World* (@Dbax1fan) February 7, 2020
Obama did nothing because Hillary was supposed to win. Oops
— Tucker (@Tuc619) February 6, 2020
Well that's a bunch of nonsense.
The only thing that watered-down the Obama admin response was the Obama admin.
— Frank Tompkins (@FrankTompkins1) February 7, 2020
Are you still shilling for this? Really?
— RangerSyl (@RangerSyl) February 6, 2020
— Like No Other (@estbrvrei) February 6, 2020
You are a dumpster fire of a publication.
— Cherry Pi (@B_stealmyheart) February 7, 2020
From your own story:
"The bulk of the report focuses its criticism on the Obama administration"— cat handler (@cathandler) February 6, 2020
This is why you’re failing.
Obama’s $hit was HIS FAULT.
Your blame game is lame.
— Kim Henry (@khenry657) February 7, 2020
So, even stupid shit Obama did (“Cut it out!”) was Republicans’ fault.
Of course.
So tired of this.
— Add your name (@corrcomm) February 6, 2020
Obama did say he told Putin to “cut it out.”
Ok Boomer.https://t.co/atZPApCpYT
— ? Iowa Caucus Coinflipper ??? (@Sheep2Wolves) February 7, 2020
"Why do people distrust the media?"
*frames story in a blatantly dishonest way so headliners think it was all the GOP's fault Obama didn't do his job*
— Baby Ronald Reagan (@ReaganRevived) February 6, 2020
It must be nice to be Barack Obama and be able to retire to your seaside vacation home on Martha’s Vineyard with no accountability whatsoever.
Related:
Obama's cyber security coordinator given 'stand down' order against Russian cyber attacks https://t.co/lHMVoFrQ3E
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 21, 2018
