These are my observations and conclusions to-date.
After watching and listening to this man for the past two years, there is nothing good that I see. I keep hoping he will do something smart such as allow a real opposition and transition of power. Ease his own burden. Simplify his life. Share the burden. But no.
Each time he makes a contribution or gives a speech, there is no "give". He's as hard as nails. He won't budge a centimeter. Each time he gives a speech, it's from a position he perceives as an advantage: usually just after he has received a shipment of arms from Russia, or concrete support in terms of arms and nasty fighters from Iran. Then it's a classification of his world into "Syrians" (his friends) and "terrorists" (all Syrians and anyone who is not with him or dares to do or say anything against and without his approval.
This attitude and intransigence is made evident when he arrests (oops, sorry: detains for questioning) elected and chosen opposition representatives as they come back from meetings abroad, or when he "rewrites" the constitution, meaning that he copies the old one and ensures that the new text clearly specifies that he can stay in power another 24 years and has the final say in all political decisions. He is an arrogant, selfish, protective piece of work - and he is not going to change.
Perhaps - I've thought - Bashar is being manipulated, maybe even threatened, by those around him - his family who manage the army and security networks. But I don't think so. Those well-to-do Alawites in Damascus and Latakia and who've moved into the rest of Syria regard him as their "God". Ok, maybe not as a devine being, but see About the Alawites. They will do anything for him. He has a lot of power and 2 million people supporting you is a nice backdrop. He doesn't need others to tell him what to do. He is "the son"; no one else is that. If he chooses to say no, then it's no. But he does not choose to say no.
Like so many leaders before him, with a little love, Assad could have done so much. He could have lead all of Syria into the future as a collective prosperous happy nation. He could have reformed the public institutions, improved representation, improved education for all, refined laws. Syria was already quite secular and could have easily made the next steps. That's what comes of trying to make an eye doctor into a leader. Ironically, he must have taken ophthalmology because he couldn't see. And it didn't help.
From the interaction I've been having, these people are under the impression that they (pro-Assad supporters) are in the majority. In other words, not the 10% (20% at a stretch) of the Syrian population like everyine else in the world believes.
They consider anyone who does not agree with their point of view stupid, delusional, losers.
Most of the tweeters seem to live outside of Syria and sound young. They seem to all speak English pretty well, so must have been or are exposed to foreign education. That takes money.
They all hate the U.S. and any country that voices opposition to their pro-Assad focus and would most likely act against such countries, in spite of the fact that they and their families live in those countries.
They only read and accept media that supports their opinions. Thy trash any other media as biased and lying, e.g., BBC, Al Jazeera, CNN, The Guardian, and so on. They only read the media that supports them and don't bother to read anything else. For example, I keep pointing them to my website, which I hope represents not only my viewpoint, but justifies it. Not one of these tweeters have spent more and a couple of minutes on my website. I've been prejudged. I am a ridiculous loser, delusional, lol.
These pro-Assadists will pick up on and pass on anything the supports the pro-Assad camp without research.
If any member of the group expresses even the slightest hint of evidence or doubt, then certain others try to correct that opinion in a somewhat gentle but, in the end, somewhat dismissive way; for example, with phrases like "Don't worry, he's just an asshole," when referring to the source that may have influenced that person with an alternative opinion.
There are a few people blogging out of Damascus/Beirut (hard to tell because the servers from that area are confusing). These seem to be, or have pictures, of hot girls. It's almost as if there was a coordinated effort to attract young teens from outside Syria and manipulate them to their point of view. With each "girl" linking in a hundred or so followers, that makes for a rather large network of manipulated indoctrination.
Some things struck me as strange or different from twittering with other people and organizations.
Within this group there seems to be a few stronger voices. These few network back and forth sort of like a leader checking and assessing the feelings and responses of his/her followers. Such leaders; for example, Sandy @Sandy_Madridsta, @Sandy_Madridisa, @ana_cherine from (Beirut or Damascus) keep prodding their flock with standard pro-regime phrases that are word-for-word repeats from SANA or official regime comments to the international community. They cajole and disparage other users, and work on personal stories of tragedy and loss. Occasionally they seem to respond to a request in Arabic from another account. Also, they and I follow one another, and sometimes the response I may get does not seem to be from the same person.
These lead accounts seem to be mainly, judging by the profile pictures they keep and update, very hot girls. Each is followed by lots of male accounts. So, it's almost like the regime has funded a series of accounts (female) to monitor and gather 100s of other accounts (mainly male) and garner sympathy for the Syrian pro-regime cause that way. Lots of power. Lots of manipulation.