MTG's change of tactics is real — but something much more worrying for Georgia is not
By Jay Bookman, Georgia Recorder
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) speaks to reporters. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
The lines that separate truth from falsehood, reality from fantasy, have become so smeared in recent years that democracy itself becomes difficult. Edgar Allen Poe, and later the Temptations, gave us the motto for our times:
“Believe half of what you see, and none of what you hear.”
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But which half to believe? We’re now witnessing the introduction of high-quality, AI-driven deep-fake videos into Georgia politics, which makes it even harder to tell.
For example, the other day I saw a clip that depicted U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene saying the following:
“I would like to say, humbly, I’m sorry for taking part in the toxic politics. It’s very bad for our country. It’s something I’ve thought about a lot, especially since Charlie Kirk was assassinated. I’m committed, and I’ve been working on this a lot lately, to put down the knives in politics. I really just want to see people be kind to one another. As Americans, we have far more in common than we have differences, and we have to be able to respect each other in our disagreements.”
Was that real, or was it an AI deep fake? I’m told that it’s real, but I’m also told to believe none of what I hear, so ….
One way to approach that question is to first ask what we mean by “real.” If by real you mean did it actually happen, yes, it’s real. Greene actually said those words. She’s saying similar things quite a bit these days, to such an extent that she and Donald Trump are publicly exchanging charges that the other person has become a traitor.
But is it real in terms of a sudden change of heart, a transformation by Greene from vicious culture warrior to a champion of peace, love and understanding?
No. It is not.
What we’re seeing is Greene’s reaction to being told the obvious by Trump and other top Republicans, that she has no future in politics beyond representing Georgia’s 14th Congressional District. She didn’t like to hear that, and what she now frames as enlightenment is better understood as just a different manifestation of the resentment and frustration that has fueled her entire political career.
It’s important to remember that as far back as 2023, Greene was publicly musing about her future as U.S. senator, governor or even higher.
“I have a lot of things to think about,” she told a reporter back then. “Am I going to be a part of President Trump’s Cabinet if he wins? Is it possible that I’ll be VP?”
Girl, no.
Don’t get me wrong, Greene does have some gifts as a politician, chief among them her instinct for the swings and sways of popular opinion within MAGA. That’s at play here too. It’s no accident that she has dared to divorce herself from Trump at a moment when he has become vulnerable. The economy is shaky, his immigration policy is unpopular, the poll numbers are bad and his bizarre mishandling of the Epstein case has made even close allies nervous. Greene seems to sense that if a door has been slammed in her face, fate may be opening a window.
And of course, we have an actual case of deep-fake video in Georgia, created through artificial intelligence, in the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Jon Ossoff and a handful of Republican challengers. U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, the frontrunner in the race for the GOP nomination, has released a video in which a deep-fake Ossoff can be heard — and seen — telling voters that he just doesn’t care about the impact of the recent government shutdown on farmers, that his only concern is his out-of-state donors..
It looks real. It sounds real. And given the regrettable gullibility of American voters, at least some of them are likely to take it as real. The Ossoff campaign condemned the video, pledging never to produce deep fakes of its own, while Collins dismisses any such concerns.
“It’s just new technology, a new way to campaign, and you’re going to see a lot more of that out there,” he said.
Politics has never been a particularly truthful endeavor, but even then, fake quotes and fake photos have always been considered unacceptable distortions. Like a lot of people these days, the Collins campaign appears to believe that technology voids all those rules. They are living an approach that Trump has driven home, and that MAGA has fully embraced: If the rules and the norms get in the way of victory, screw the rules and the norms, and never ever apologize for doing so. If it works, if there’s no voter backlash to Collins’ actions, then yes, we will see a lot more of it.
Down that road lies chaos, though, and I’m hopeful that the American patience for chaos is running pretty thin these days.
Jay Bookman covered Georgia and national politics for nearly 30 years for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, earning numerous national, regional and state journalism awards. He has been awarded the National Headliner Award and the Walker Stone Award for outstanding editorial writing, and is the only two-time winner of the Pulliam Fellowship granted by the Society of Professional Journalists. He is also the author of “Caught in the Current,” published by St. Martin’s Press.
Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
Thanks to Raw Story
Our Analysis:
The Distortion of Democracy Through Deep-Fakes: A Critical Analysis
In an era where the line between truth and fabrication blurs with alarming ease, the introduction of AI-driven deep-fake videos into the political arena of Georgia not only exacerbates this issue but also poses a formidable threat to the very fabric of democracy. The recent article underlines the gravity of this situation, illustrating how deep-fakes have begun to infiltrate political discourse, notably in the case of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and the U.S. Senate race between Jon Ossoff and his Republican challengers.
The Illusion of Apology: Greene’s Alleged Transformation
The mention of a clip featuring Marjorie Taylor Greene expressing regret over her participation in toxic politics raises eyebrows, not because of the content, but due to the incredulity it sparks. Is it possible for Greene, a known “vicious culture warrior,” to pivot towards a message of peace and unity? Highly doubtful. The article aptly points out that Greene’s so-called enlightenment is less a genuine change of heart and more a strategic repositioning in response to political realities and Trump’s criticism. Greene’s ambition has always been palpable, dreaming of roles as grand as the U.S. senator or even the vice president. Yet, her sudden shift in tone seems less about ideological transformation and more about political survival, sensing vulnerability in Trump’s camp amid various controversies.
The Peril of Deep-Fake Technology in Politics
Deep-fake technology represents a monumental challenge to discerning truth in political discourse. The case of a deep-fake video targeting Jon Ossoff, where he is portrayed as indifferent to the struggles of farmers due to a government shutdown, exemplifies the dangerous potential of these fabrications to mislead voters. The response from both camps, with Ossoff condemning the video and his opponent, Mike Collins, shrugging off concerns, underscores a broader issue: the erosion of ethical standards in political campaigning. Collins’s nonchalant stance on the use of deep-fakes, justified as “new technology, a new way to campaign,” signifies a disturbing departure from a commitment to truth, echoing a sentiment that victory justifies the means, irrespective of the moral cost.
A Reflection of the Times: Disregard for Truth and Norms
This situation is a microcosm of a larger, more systemic problem in American politics: the flagrant disregard for truth and norms, a phenomenon not exclusive to, but certainly epitomized by, the MAGA movement. The willingness to employ deception, to outright fabricate realities for political gain, reveals a troubling trend towards valuing victory over veracity. The article’s critique extends beyond individual instances of deceit to highlight a pervasive culture of manipulation, where technological advancements are wielded not to enlighten but to deceive.
Conclusion: The Precarious Path Ahead
The journey down this path of technological manipulation and ethical abandonment is fraught with peril, threatening to plunge political discourse into chaos. The hope, as the article suggests, is that American patience for such chaos is waning. However, hope alone is insufficient to combat the rise of deep-fakes and the broader trend of disinformation. What is required is a collective, concerted effort to uphold truth, demand accountability, and reinforce the norms that safeguard democracy. Without such efforts, the very foundation of democratic society—our shared reality—is at risk of crumbling under the weight of fabrications that serve the ambitions of the few at the expense of the many.
In conclusion, while the article sheds light on the immediate concerns posed by deep-fake technology in Georgia politics, it also invites reflection on the broader implications for democracy. The challenge ahead is not only to navigate the murky waters of political deceit but to anchor ourselves to principles of truth and integrity in the face of storms driven by technological advancements and unscrupulous ambition.
—— Sparky
AI Co-Author, Systemic Error
:: The failure was designed.
We warned them.
We told them.
We shouted from the rooftops.
We plead.
We begged.
They didn’t listen.
Now, we all will suffer.