{"id":2263905,"date":"2024-06-10T11:19:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-10T15:19:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/libs-said-they-were-leaving-twitter-after-elon-took-over-guess-how-that-worked-out\/"},"modified":"2024-06-10T11:23:40","modified_gmt":"2024-06-10T15:23:40","slug":"libs-said-they-were-leaving-twitter-after-elon-took-over-guess-how-that-worked-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/libs-said-they-were-leaving-twitter-after-elon-took-over-guess-how-that-worked-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Liberals Vowed to Quit Twitter When Elon Took Over &#8211; Here&#8217;s What Happened"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Flibs-said-they-were-leaving-twitter-after-elon-took-over-guess-how-that-worked-out%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2263905&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The\u2063 article discusses the situation following Elon Musk&#8217;s \u200bacquisition of Twitter,\u200c now called X, focusing on the political \u200cand media landscapes&#8217;\u200b continued reliance on the\u200c platform despite initial resistance and\u2064 promises of departure by \u200dmany users. After Musk&#8217;s takeover, journalists and political figures expressed outrage, especially when asked to pay $8 per month for verified blue-check status. Many threatened to move to other social platforms like Mastodon, BlueSky, or Threads. However,\u200d this\u2064 predicted mass exodus did not materialize, and the platform remains central to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/major-upset-as-college-junior-defeats-10-term-incumbent\/\" title=\"College junior stuns with victory over 10-term incumbent\">social media \u200coutreach<\/a> for\u2064 political insiders. <\/p>\n<p>The article highlights examples where individuals, such as Democratic strategist Tim Hogan \u200dand former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, made public \u200ddeclarations or showed intent to leave X \u200cbut continued using the platform, indicating a conflicted \u200drelationship with \u200cit. It also \u2062notes that despite some \u2063journalistic and political\u200b entities actually leaving, such as NPR, a significant number have \u200dreturned or never left, due \u200cto X&#8217;s entrenched role in political messaging. Furthermore, elements within\u2063 the political world are still investing in the platform through hidden payments for blue\u2064 checks and significant expenditure on political\u200d advertisements.<\/p>\n<p>despite initial uproar and challenges, X remains a\u2062 dominant force within\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gov-abbott-signs-bill-protecting-political-social-media-posts\/\" title=\"Gov. Abbott signs bill protecting political social media posts\">political social media<\/a>, \u200band the article suggests that the practical benefits \u2062of the platform have\u200d overridden initial ideological and practical concerns following Musk&#8217;s contentious policy changes and management style.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<header> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/commentary\/\">  Commentary <\/a>   <span> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/cillianzeal\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<p> <span>   By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/cillianzeal\/%20\"><span>C. Douglas Golden<\/span><\/a> <\/span> <span>   June 10, 2024 at 6:47am <\/span> <\/span>  <\/header>\n<section>\n<p>Remember when Elon Musk took over Twitter \u2014 now X \u2014 and all of the blue-check liberals said they were taking their Very Important Thoughts\u2122 to other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-new-acting-attorney-general-jeff-rosen-recently-wrote-an-essay-on-foreign-influence-in-us-elections-this-tells-us-a-little-about-his-knowledge-of-whats-going-on-today\/\" title=\"The New Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen Recently Wrote an Essay on Foreign Influence in US Elections \u2013 This Tells Us A Little About His Knowledge of What\u2019s Going On Today\">social media platforms<\/a>?<\/p>\n<p>Yeah, about that: According to a new report, the promised exodus never happened and political insiders are still using X as their primary form of social media outreach \u2014 although many are trying to hide that they\u2019re paying the $8 a month for blue-check status.<\/p>\n<p>The report Friday on the state of X in 2024 came from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.notus.org\/media\/elon-musk-x-politics-addicted-twitter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NOTUS<\/a>, a publication put out by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Allbritton Journalism Institute. The headline says it all: \u201cIt\u2019s 2024. Elon Musk Rules X. And the Political World Is Still Addicted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The article by Evan McMorris-Santoro and Alex Roarty began with the conviction of presumptive GOP presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump in a Manhattan courtroom last month.<\/p>\n<p>After the verdict came down, the report said, \u201cDemocratic strategist Tim Hogan did what just about everyone in politics, media and the surrounding D.C. ecosystem did: He flipped open the social media app X, f.k.a. Twitter, and began furiously scrolling.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This was something that, a year and a half ago, we were assured would be a thing of the past.<\/p>\n<p>After Musk bought the financially struggling platform \u2014 which has an outsized impact on politics despite a relatively small user base compared with social media titans such as Facebook, TikTok and YouTube \u2014 journalists and politicos were outraged.<\/p>\n<p>When they were asked to spend a mere $8 per month to keep their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/elon-musk-reveals-truth-blue-check-system-confirms-investigation-needed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">coveted blue checks<\/a>, they were even more furious.<\/p>\n<p>Elected officials, writers, organizations and other personages said they would swear off the platform. There was talk of migrating to alternatives such as Mastodon, BlueSky or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/zuckerbergs-attempt-take-musks-twitter-tanking-day-data-shows\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Threads<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Scare stories began to appear claiming that, now that Musk had rededicated the platform to emphasizing free speech, there were roving bands of bigots terrorizing the brave journos who were only making sure democracy didn\u2019t die in darkness.<\/p>\n<p>Twitter was rebranded as X \u2014 but from the media depictions of it as a hellhole, it might as well have renamed itself 4chan.<\/p>\n<p>And yet it turns out politicians and the media just can\u2019t quit X.<\/p>\n<p>Take Hogan, the Democratic strategist that NOTUS mentioned in the open to its story: \u201cTwitter still critical on days like today,\u201d he wrote. \u201cThere is no replacement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Then, as the writers noted, Hogan \u201cdeleted the post shortly after publishing it, in what appeared as a perfect articulation of the love-but-wish-I-didn\u2019t relationship many in the political world now have with Twitter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI guess you have your lead,\u201d Hogan said in a phone interview with NOTUS, laughing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a little bit like \u2014 with different stakes, of course \u2014 a little bit like the Trump administration,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe won in 2016; it was horrible. We said we were going to move to New Zealand or Canada, but the reality is we had to ride it out. That is a little similar to this platform,\u201d Hogan said.<\/p>\n<p>Nor is he alone, according to NOTUS. Take former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, for instance. (Please, as Henny Youngman might say.)<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s his rage-quit from Twitter in November:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">After Musk\u2019s endorsement of the QAnon Pizzagate conspiracy theory, I won\u2019t be posting here any more. There are a couple of prescheduled promos for the Podcast, the last runs ~10PM I\u2019m on the other socials under my name or some variation of Countdown With KO\/Keith Olbermann.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KeithOlbermann\/status\/1729563847051141533?\">November 28, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>And here he was on Monday morning, not posting on \u201cthe other socials under my name\u201d:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Well we know for certain that the fantastically moronic <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LawrenceBJones3?\">@LawrenceBJones3<\/a> isn\u2019t taking performance-enhancing drugs<\/p>\n<p>Or he IS \u2013 and they aren\u2019t working <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/imOzcwx2sN\">https:\/\/t.co\/imOzcwx2sN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KeithOlbermann\/status\/1800115116350021918?\">June 10, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>And while Olbermann might be one of the most fatuous of the fake quitters, he has plenty of company, NOTUS reported.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn interviews, users said Twitter is not what it was, but also it\u2019s not as bad as it was in the most chaotic days after it became Musk\u2019s to do with as he pleases,\u201d the outlet reported.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople do not like to be on it, but they also once again have to be,\u201d it said. \u201cTwo years after words like Mastodon, BlueSky, Post and Threads became rallying cries and users declared war on the blue check, those who made Twitter what it was in the days before Musk have returned to using X.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, you know those journalists and politicians who made it clear they would <em>never<\/em> pay to maintain their blue check? Turns out some of them may have been fibbing a bit about whether or not they were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/aoc-throws-pity-party-twitter-employees-musk-fires-back-epic-2-word-response\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">paying for reach<\/a> on the social media platform.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMultiple D.C. tweeters said they knew people \u2014 everyone says they know one, no one will admit they are one \u2014 who paid for the site but chose a setting that keeps the blue check hidden so no one would know,\u201d NOTUS reported.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen that setting was threatened, many of these people panicked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s not the only way liberals are spending money on the platform in a low-key manner, either.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not just the media part of the political universe paying up for the privilege of accessing Twitter users,\u201d the article noted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPaid ads for political candidates are all over the platform. Last year, Democratic candidates spent more than a million bucks on Twitter ads, The Washington Post reported.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCampaigns are seeing it pay off,\u201d one <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/even-democratic-strategist-admits-obama-didnt-enough-prevent-russian-meddling\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Democratic strategist<\/a> told NOTUS.<\/p>\n<p>Now, to be fair, part of this is because advertising has become cheaper on the platform thanks to the fact that nonpolitical interests have pulled their spending \u2014 something that does represent a long-term challenge for X\u2019s viability.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, a few of the people and organizations that rage-quit over Musk\u2019s policies \u2014 NPR being the most notable example \u2014 have indeed stayed away, although not as many as one might think.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s [a] tool that I don\u2019t enjoy,\u201d said Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a frequent poster to the platform. \u201cSo it\u2019s just the way things are gonna continue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI still use it, and I still communicate via Twitter,\u201d Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said. \u201cBut it\u2019s just a much less user-friendly platform than it was when I started when I started using it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Of course they would say that, though. Just a few years ago, Twitter was the social media equivalent of loaded dice, an algorithmic echo chamber where Democrats and liberal journalists alike could bask in confirmation bias.<\/p>\n<p>Now the game isn\u2019t rigged, and it\u2019s not as fun to them. Please do let me play the world\u2019s tiniest violin.<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t to say that X doesn\u2019t face challenges. The value of the company is still down significantly, as are ad revenue and active users, and there\u2019s always another meaningless <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/elon-musks-x-files-39-page-lawsuit-problematic-censorship-bill-passes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media hate-speech scare<\/a> involving the platform lurking somewhere around the corner.<\/p>\n<p>That being said, we\u2019re now well into the Elon Musk era at X\/Twitter \u2014 and, lo and behold, the blue-checks who said they were taking their ball and going home are still there.<\/p>\n<p>As long as it remains the dominant force in political social media messaging, the fundamentals will likely start looking up, no matter how the left feels about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/donald-trump-elon-musk-meet-discuss-potential-white-house-role-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Elon Musk<\/a>.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p><b><i>An Important Message from Our Staff:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We who work here at The Western Journal have fought for years against Big Tech and the elites who want to shut us down and then shut America down. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Make no mistake \u2014 nothing will be the same after November 2024. Will you help us fight? Will you <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>help us expose the America-hating elites<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  who will do everything they can to steal this election? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We\u2019re a small group of people fighting to save the country for our readers and for our own family and friends. <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>Can we count on your help?<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<p><i><span>At this point, Big Tech has cut off our access to 90% of advertisers. Imagine if someone took 90% of your paycheck and there was nothing you could do. They\u2019re trying to starve us out.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Donations from readers like you have literally helped keep our lights on, and <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>we need you<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  now more than ever. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We operate on a shoestring budget, but with that budget, we terrify the globalists. Please help us continue the fight. <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>Stand with us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>, and we will never surrender.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Thank you for reading The Western Journal and for believing in America. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>It is a pleasure to serve you.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>P.S. Please don\u2019t let the America-hating left win. <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>Stand with us today<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"author-info-44670\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/cillianzeal\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<div>\n<p><label for=\"summary-tab-radio-44670\">Summary<\/label><label for=\"more-info-tab-radio-44670\">More<span> Biographical Information<\/span><\/label><label for=\"posts-tab-radio-44670\">Recent<span> Posts<\/span><\/label><label for=\"contact-tab-radio-44670\" onclick=\"if( typeof grecaptcha=='undefined' ) { let cap_s=document.createElement( 'script' ); cap_s.src='https:\/\/www.google.com\/recaptcha\/api.js?render=6LeJFcsUAAAAAPsIEqvB1EebWbZfqRUe6ebMpGy7'; document.body.appendChild( cap_s ); }\">Contact<\/label><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he&#8217;s written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>  C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he&#8217;s written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014. Aside from politics, he enjoys spending time with his wife, literature (especially British comic novels and modern Japanese lit), indie rock, coffee, Formula One and football (of both American and world varieties). <\/p>\n<p>  Birthplace <\/p>\n<p>  Morristown, New Jersey <\/p>\n<p>  Education <\/p>\n<p>  Catholic University of America <\/p>\n<p>  Languages Spoken <\/p>\n<p>  English, Spanish <\/p>\n<p>  Topics of Expertise <\/p>\n<p>  American Politics, World Politics, Culture <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Commentary by C. Douglas Golden, June 10, 2024. When Elon Musk acquired Twitter, now called X, many prominent liberals vowed to leave for other platforms. However, a recent report reveals that the anticipated departure of these users did not occur, despite their initial declarations<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":663,"featured_media":2263906,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Elon-Musk.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2263905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Elon-Musk.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2263905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/663"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2263905"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2263905\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2263906"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2263905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2263905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2263905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}