Blog Lingo

OK, what is a "concern troll"?:

Democratic Underground (through TPM) defines a 'concern troll' as one who professes complete faith in the progressive cause, but who deliberately works to destroy it by claiming falsely that its displays of courage and strength are actually a weakness.

They typically emerge from under their bridge of misinformation when progressives have a victory of some sort, or have plainly spotlighted issues that are of embarassment and/or those that clearly paint conservatives in a bad light. Their goal is to mitigate resolve in an effort to ensure that any perceived current of reform does not become a tidal wave. They are the 'minute men' of the right.

Not necessarily - sometimes nightwatchmen of the left! I suppose the scout who informed Custer that the Indian village in the valley ahead was the largest he had ever seen was a 'concern troll.' I guess the critical term is 'claiming falsely'. For, as Custer eventually learned, his scurvy scout's report was accurate.