White House Strategy: Ridicule the Angry Republicans

[Freedom1]

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/08/white_house_strategy_for_containing_the_recess_mee ting_mess.php

The White House and Democratic officials, surprised by the angry words thrown at Democratic lawmakers in their first weekend of August town hall meetings, are scrambling to put together a strategy to minimize the effects of what they see as an organized campaign to disrupt the meetings and spread anxiety about health care reform and President Obama.

A key part of the developing strategy: ridicule the opposition -- and portray those who disrupt meetings with loud chants and signs as part of the same ilk of people who showed up at campaign rallies for John McCain and Sarah Palin right after the 2008 Republican National Convention. At those rallies, some supporters hurled racist remarks and displayed objectionable signs; McCain himself was forced to respond to a questioner who called Obama a "Muslim," to the applause of others in the crowd. To this day, McCain aides maintain that the media inflated the number of reactionaries in the crowd, abetted by an Obama campaign that was all too happy to point them out.

[Hey Paula]

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/08/white_house_strategy_for_containing_the_recess_mee ting_mess.php

From Saul Alinsky's playbook Rules for Radicals:



Rule 5: Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. It’s hard to counterattack ridicule, and it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage

http://www.vcn.bc.ca/citizens-handbook/rules.html

[Hey Paula]

Big mistake imo.
Dismissing them as only "angry Republicans" ignores all the Independents and disgruntled democrats too. It only makes them angrier and solidifies the view that those in Washington really out of touch with the people.....the voters.

There are too many cameras out there these days to get away with lies coming out of Washington to try to advance their own agenda. People now know to bring the camera and record the truth.

Double Standard?

What happened to this message, or does it only apply when speaking out in favor of BO and his policies?

Obama Says "Argue With Neighbors, Get In Their Face"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCMDur9CDZ4

[Re-Poe]

Works for me. you get what you give. imo

[Roux]

I called the DNC headquarters and informed them that I am not a paid "Angry Mobster", but an American exercising my First Amendment rights and the fact that the President's own political party is calling many American Citizens names is not only telling, but VERY WORRISOME.

This coupled with the directive from the WH to report on people who don't accept the administration's lies on health care, is getting to sound downright dictatorial.

I just posted on the Health Care thread how troublesome this is. I saw a clip of Harry Reid's arrogant comments referring to angry mobs. People all over the country, on websites, at meetings, etc. are simply expressing their feelings of anger and frustration. What's next - people will not be permitted to assemble or speak out at all? Very worrisome indeed.

[Hey Paula]

White House Website Asking for Informants on Anti-Healthcare Advocates

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/13391

[Veritas]

You don't demonize American citizens for speaking out against government.

Sounds to me like the "Community Organizer" is getting a bit upset because communities are organizing. JMHO

[flareon]

I just posted on the Health Care thread how troublesome this is. I saw a clip of Harry Reid's arrogant comments referring to angry mobs. People all over the country, on websites, at meetings, etc. are simply expressing their feelings of anger and frustration. What's next - people will not be permitted to assemble or speak out at all? Very worrisome indeed.

I wouldn't be too concerned about anyone really paying attention to Reid and his ilk. This is the problem when you wind these people up with the parroted talking points and send them out. Once you have hear the same "point" made over and over, it starts to look contrived and meaningless.

[Veritas]

"I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you're not patriotic. We should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration."-- Hillary Clinton, 2003

My, how times have changed. :wink:

[Circe]

Works for me. you get what you give. imo

And as usual, the Republicans will cry foul when people fight back using their rules of the game.

JMO, of course.

[Veritas]

How do we describe these protesters?

LINK (http://www.moonbattery.com/Code_Pink_lunatics.jpg)

:confused:

[watcher2005]

My, how times have changed. :wink:

eh, not really. :wink:

[logbump]

Not sure if this is the right place for this, but I love this:


http://www.mcphee.com/pixlarge/11835.jpg

But where can I get mine?