> Schmidt is the ultimate establishment opportunist, It can also be seen as a business move. The perceived failure of the news media to convince people to vote

> Schmidt is the ultimate establishment opportunist, It can also be seen as a business move. The perceived failure of the news media to convince people to vote for one candidate has left a void in the market. So now Google, Facebook, Twitter and others are racing to fill that void. They are signaling that they are willing and able to better target and manipulate public opinion than anyone else. Does Google and others believe that lizard people stories and pictures of Hillary boxing with Jesus made a difference in the election? https://assets.pcmag.com/media/images/561223-an-example-of-russian-linked-content-on-facebook.png?thumb=y&width=740&height=574 https://assets.pcmag.com/media/images/561223-an-example-of-r... Probably not. But the adherence to the story and the faithful reiteration is a good backdrop to signal a more important message to those willing to read between the lines.