It's not that I disagree, but I think you'll find that trend has followed campaigns in general, not just the internet. The arguments have gone from inspiring,

It's not that I disagree, but I think you'll find that trend has followed campaigns in general, not just the internet. The arguments have gone from inspiring, generic, and slogan-esque to cynical, underhanded, and accusatory. Birtherism was definitely a thing in 2008. In 2004 America had the swiftboating crap. Yea, the internet probably bolsters the spread of crap like that, but it's nothing new. It's not so much that I don't see the change occurring in front of us. I just think people have incorrectly identified the cause of that change. They think they are upset because Facebook has so much power over what people see and read and engage with. In reality they are upset that people are reading and engaging with wrongthink. It's a kind of self delusion because they (we?) cannot admit that we are opposed to free speech. Supposing that Obama did use the internet like today--spreading suspicion and pessimism, calls to imprison his opponents: do you think the same people hailing Facebook as democracy's kryptonite would say that? I don't think so. I think they would praise the platform for 'illuminating Bush's war crimes' and 'giving a voice to the silent'. No, I cant get inside people's heads and prove it... But after seeing these arguments for 5 years I am pretty sure it's true.