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Edited on Wed Sep-27-06 08:42 PM by MarianJack
If We are going to answer Keith Olberman's call to action as I said in yesterday's post (Thanks for the support, DU!), we need to have some strategies. Here are a few as I see them.
First let's take a look at HOW the right debates. They use every trick they can to deflect the debate FROM the issues that matter and TO their "wedge" issues. No wonder. Would YOU want to have to defend a record of failure like the present administration's? Distraction is a nice thing when you're watching a magician and want to enjoy yourself. Its a disaster when you're having your pocket picked. Here are 2 of my favorite rightist tactics.
1. "You've got to admit that..."! No, you don't. This is a way to make an outrage seem like a reasonable act so that later the rightie you're debating can come back at you with "SEE? You agree with me!". They may pick out the only reasonable thing the right wing talking head of choice has ever said OR, they may just lie. Hardly unusual. Will a rightist give credit to ANY Democrat/Liberal/Progressive/Gay & Lesbian/Immigrant for anything? PUHLEEZE!
2. Revisionist history designed to smear a democratic or progressive figure. Just like chris wallace and the "path to 9/11". Usually it will be something from 10+ years ago. The rightists know that most Americans don't do 3 things; think, listen or read.
This is the reason that republicans are almost as hostile to the teaching of History as they are to the teaching of actual Science. This is only exacerbated by the fact that their media minions make pap like Paris Hilton's DUI, "TomKat", American Idol or any other current "reality" show and the missing blond of the moment the TOP STORY and intermingle it with the right's favorite distractions like Gay Marriage, Immigration, Flag burning, "They Killed TERI" and pushing an era of record breaking corporate profits as a "booming economy".
One of the most obscene examples of the right's wiping their collective ass with history is the recent trend of denying the Holocaust. Of course they waited until Concentration Camp survivors and World War II vets started dying by the thousands to do so. They don't want anything as inconvenient as a living witness to the contrary.
Here are some tactics to counter.
1. DON"T let them frame the debate. They will do anything to avoid the REAL questions. You know, like the ones that chris wallace would NEVER ask a republican. We all know those questions, but here are a few.
Where are the weapons? Under the president's Oval Office end table?
Why wasn't the "HISTORY" you're talking about front page news when it "happened" roughly a decade ago?
If its so important to "stay the course", why won't the administration state the Goddamn course? Or pick a course and STAY it?
If the rule of law is so important, why did the president not castigate the vice-president for shooting his friend and doing nothing about it until after dinner?
If "life" is so important, why was the president eating birthday with john mccain while thousands of Americans were at the mercy of a hurricane he chose to ignore without food, water or an avenue of rescue?
2. Don't let them pull the fox "news" trick of "SOME PEOPLE SAY".
Who says? What is the source? If its newsmax, free republic, fox, drudge or another right wing "news" source, point out that their news value is, at best, negligible. I have a rightist co-worker who goes bananas when I use this line.
I would also suggest being aware of the republicans you meet. There are moderate and conservative republicans who are revolted by the criminality of this administration. When the day of the cheney-bush junta ends, we will need the reasonable people on the other side to rebuild this country again. They are out there. Much like most Democratic congressional leadership, they've been cowed into silence. But remember, in the early days of the current administration, there were plenty of republicans who were publicly showing the lack of respect they had for this fool of a president.
The people I am talking about are your rabid right fox loving practitioners of, as Cindy Sheehan calls it, bushianity.
They aren't for the most part great thinkers. They take the lead of and do their best to imitate the hannitys, limbaughs, becks and coulters of the media. They don't know why they say what they say and can't counter your good points. Hence, the "wedge issues".
Finally, remember that the right has become very accustomed to being able to bully with impunity for the last 5 years (THANKS, Democratic leadership). They are used to getting away with it. In any interaction with a true bully, SOMEBODY is going to back down. If You don't, they WILL!
I can tell you from LOTS of experience, When you make them back down or walk away grumbling or resort to calling you names (all of these a concession of the argument), the natural high is powerful!
Go out. Kick right wing ass. Take names. Have fun.
PEACE
BTW, One way I piss the righties off is when I describe myself as a Husband, Father, Patriot and a Democrat!
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