Quote:Arizona’s Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is the classic prototype of the type of person who can dish out vitriol but can’t take even the most modest criticism. We all know a person like this, don’t we? However, the difference is that she used her position as a government official to push a social media company to censor criticism leveled against one of her TDS-infused posts.

Hobbs reportedly reached out to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, when she was a state lawmaker. She asked the company to remove tweets posted by users taking issue with a tweet she posted comparing Trump supporters to Nazis:

Democrat Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs requested the social media website formerly known as Twitter to censor critics of her tweet that compared supporters of former President Trump to Nazis.

In August 2017, while serving in the Arizona state legislature, Hobbs attacked Trump in a post, when she compared the former president’s voter base to neo-Nazis.

“[Trump] has made it abundantly clear he’s more interested in pandering to his neo-nazi base than being [president] for all Americans,” Hobbs wrote on her campaign Twitter account.

Hobbs was roasted online for the tweet, which did not sit well with Hobbs as she advanced in her political career to become Arizona secretary of state.

The post had critics online call into question Hobbs’ impartiality when administering the election, and, according to emails obtained by Fox News Digital from conservative political organization AZCapitol, Hobbs tried to get Twitter, now known as X, to censor the criticism against her.

Given what we have come to learn about government officials – especially those of the authoritarian leftist persuasion – Hobbs’ actions are not as surprising as they might have been ten years ago. There are several problems with the official’s behavior.

Let’s start with the blatant abuse of power. Sure, Hobbs did not try to pass legislation or threaten anyone with arrest for not taking down criticism of her tweet. But she did use her position as a state lawmaker to seek preferential treatment because some animals are more equal than others. Could any of us regular folks get any social media company to censor content just for being critical of us?

Hobbs’ actions also betray a distinct disregard for free speech. The problem with authoritarians of any stripe is that they love freedom of expression, but only for those who agree with their politics. The governor saw no problem with comparing her opposition to Nazis but seemed indignant that people might actually push back harshly. It makes one wonder whether she exists to serve all of her constituents or only the ones who like her?

Lastly, there is Hobbs’ inability to provide evidence that Trump supporters were harassing her. When asked for more details, she acknowledged not having any. There is a simple reason for this: She made it up. She was not being harassed. Criticized aggressively? Sure. Welcome to Twitter. But there is no reason to believe MAGA hat-wearing folks were going overboard.

But this story speaks to a larger issue. There have been numerous revelations over the past year detailing how federal agencies have been pressuring social media companies to suppress content that contradicts the government’s agenda.

Officials working at local, state, and federal levels have tried using their positions to influence the content that is seen on these platforms. These people have no problem blatantly ignoring our natural rights as long as they can push their agenda. If they keep getting away with it, then they will never have a reason to stop.

(08-13-2023 08:39 PM)CrimsonPhantom Wrote:  

Quote:Arizona’s Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is the classic prototype of the type of person who can dish out vitriol but can’t take even the most modest criticism. We all know a person like this, don’t we? However, the difference is that she used her position as a government official to push a social media company to censor criticism leveled against one of her TDS-infused posts.

Hobbs reportedly reached out to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, when she was a state lawmaker. She asked the company to remove tweets posted by users taking issue with a tweet she posted comparing Trump supporters to Nazis:

Democrat Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs requested the social media website formerly known as Twitter to censor critics of her tweet that compared supporters of former President Trump to Nazis.

In August 2017, while serving in the Arizona state legislature, Hobbs attacked Trump in a post, when she compared the former president’s voter base to neo-Nazis.

“[Trump] has made it abundantly clear he’s more interested in pandering to his neo-nazi base than being [president] for all Americans,” Hobbs wrote on her campaign Twitter account.

Hobbs was roasted online for the tweet, which did not sit well with Hobbs as she advanced in her political career to become Arizona secretary of state.

The post had critics online call into question Hobbs’ impartiality when administering the election, and, according to emails obtained by Fox News Digital from conservative political organization AZCapitol, Hobbs tried to get Twitter, now known as X, to censor the criticism against her.

Given what we have come to learn about government officials – especially those of the authoritarian leftist persuasion – Hobbs’ actions are not as surprising as they might have been ten years ago. There are several problems with the official’s behavior.

Let’s start with the blatant abuse of power. Sure, Hobbs did not try to pass legislation or threaten anyone with arrest for not taking down criticism of her tweet. But she did use her position as a state lawmaker to seek preferential treatment because some animals are more equal than others. Could any of us regular folks get any social media company to censor content just for being critical of us?

Hobbs’ actions also betray a distinct disregard for free speech. The problem with authoritarians of any stripe is that they love freedom of expression, but only for those who agree with their politics. The governor saw no problem with comparing her opposition to Nazis but seemed indignant that people might actually push back harshly. It makes one wonder whether she exists to serve all of her constituents or only the ones who like her?

Lastly, there is Hobbs’ inability to provide evidence that Trump supporters were harassing her. When asked for more details, she acknowledged not having any. There is a simple reason for this: She made it up. She was not being harassed. Criticized aggressively? Sure. Welcome to Twitter. But there is no reason to believe MAGA hat-wearing folks were going overboard.

But this story speaks to a larger issue. There have been numerous revelations over the past year detailing how federal agencies have been pressuring social media companies to suppress content that contradicts the government’s agenda.

Officials working at local, state, and federal levels have tried using their positions to influence the content that is seen on these platforms. These people have no problem blatantly ignoring our natural rights as long as they can push their agenda. If they keep getting away with it, then they will never have a reason to stop.

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