Infighting and online hoaxes mar Democrats’ campaign

(AP) — The Democratic race for the White House has been marked by online infighting and unsubstantiated allegations of election rigging.

Spreading an online smear against a rival is easy: it requires only coining a snappy hashtag, creating a satirical meme or simply stating the threads of a conspiracy theory. Experts say those tactics are the new normal in political campaigning, and the tone of this year’s online discourse has some Democrats worried about the party’s ability to unify behind the eventual nominee.

Others say angry social media posts and vigorous online debates are just a sign that voters are fired up eight months before Election Day.