I didn't necessarily think you/OP were trying to influence (I did mention that the OP might just be sharing an opinion). I was just interested in kicking off a

I didn't necessarily think you/OP were trying to influence (I did mention that the OP might just be sharing an opinion). I was just interested in kicking off a more on-topic discussion about 'influence' and how one might do that, and less about the specific politics. Not that it matters much as the post has been flagged now anyway.