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On Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:47:54 -0700 (PDT), Kurt Nicklas <...@bellsouth.net
<Conservatives, be sure to go to the link and read the comments. Great
stuff to help us turn the country around and back to greatness
This is Not Working
By Robert West
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/04/this_is_not_working.html
We have learned a few things from this presidential campaign season
and Barack Obama's first 100 days in office.
First, and to our untold horror, we have discovered that Barack Obama
can in fact successfully hide who he is and his vision for our
country. Prior to the election, any person of good judgment could
readily understand who this man was and where he would likely take
this country. The signs were all there. Now in power, he enacts his
socialist policies in plain sight with little concern that the
American public will strenuously object. So why is it that so many
people fail to see who Barack Obama really is and recognize the danger
he represents to our republic?
In short, the average person may know some things about Barack Obama,
but many don't know the most important things, and most don't
understand what he really seeks to achieve. More importantly,
perhaps, they do not understand the reasons Barack Obama's warmed over
Marxist ideas are bad for them and their families. Their historical
context for understanding Barack Obama is so highly distorted, and
their critical thinking so lax, that they fail to grasp the danger he
represents.
Even with the tremendous strides that have been made in the
alternative media, we are not winning this communication battle with
the left.
The steady gains that have been made by conservative media are coming
too little and too late. We are simply not making enough of a dent in
the body politic to steer the country away from the alarming trend
toward socialism. The education system, the MSM, and the steady
influx of illegal aliens only hastens the day when liberals and
leftists are the dominant political force in this country. With our
current administration and congress, who can argue that the tipping
point has not already been reached?
Moreover, Barack Obama is no Jimmy Carter, and I believe it is
unlikely that he will allow himself to fall victim to circumstances
the way that president did. Instead, with the help of David Axelrod,
his teleprompter, and the media, I believe Mr. Obama will carefully
manage his approval ratings in a Clintonesque way to be sure he
remains in power for two full terms. That is the grim reality of what
we are facing for the next eight years, unless something dramatic is
done to derail it.
So what can be done? Continuing along our current path is simply not
going to be adequate to prevent Barack Obama and the Democratic Party
from doing enormous damage to our country over the next eight years.
More dramatic action is required to shake the country out of its
reverie and demand the attention of even the most oblivious voter. It
must be designed to draw so much negative attention to their dangerous
policies, that the policies themselves become politically unviable.
The Tea Parties were a great starting point for the kind of action I
am referring to. Rasmussen polling shows that 58% of Americans
followed news stories regarding the events, and 51% of Americans had a
favorable view of them. These are remarkable figures considering that
the MSM largely ignored or ridiculed these politically important
events. We need more events like these, big and small, to break
through to the oblivious voter to get them thinking about conservative
ideas, and what they mean.
I believe that we have too often viewed the small demonstrations and
media antics of radicals to be silly and pointless exercises with
little practical effect. Conservatives must now realize the important
role that these groups and activities play in our political system.
Rather than being pointless exercises, these events serve as
springboards for media coverage, even when the events are relatively
small and ideas seem far from mainstream. In fact, these events
sometimes seem most effective when they involve extreme views, because
they garner media attention and get people thinking and talking.
Fair minded people may not agree with a particular extreme view
presented at such a demonstration, but exposure to such ideas still
tends to move opinion in the desired direction. For example,
protesters of the Iraq war may have seemed far outside the mainstream
when those protests first began. Remember, approval for the Iraq war
started out relatively high. But the actions of protesters created
opportunities for political leaders to comment, and laid the
groundwork for media stories unfavorable to President Bush and the
Iraq war. Those demonstrations and their messages opened the door for
others to reconsider their position on the war. Slowly, a negative
view of the Iraq war crept into the consciousness of even those who
paid scant attention to such things.
The point is that even small demonstrations, if publicized, have the
potential to get the public thinking about the issues we want them
thinking about, and to move public opinion. Of course, liberal media
outlets such as the New York Times will scrupulously ignore such
stories. But Fox News has demonstrated a willingness to give a high
profile to events that favor conservative interests. Fox News
viewership is far more extensive than the other cable news outlets, so
it has the critical mass to embarrass other media outlets, including
the broadcast networks, into covering events they would surely prefer
to ignore.
It is up to us to give our few friends in the media the kind of events
that they need to draw attention to our causes. Remember, no event
means no story to use as a springboard, means no comments from
politicians, means no change in the status quo thinking, and no
conversations around the water cooler, at the PTA, after church, or
anywhere else ordinary Americans discuss the news.
So what kind of events do we need?
Our goal should be to undermine support for the socialist policies the
administration is attempting to implement. Remember, it was the
constant drumbeat of negative media driven stories of anti-war
demonstrations, highly publicized suicide bombings, death counts, and
stories about American atrocities that gave Democrat politicians cover
to go on the attack. Slowly but surely, these actions drove down
Bush's approval numbers. This should be our goal with Barack Obama.
Driving down his approval numbers is key. The way to do it is with
demonstrations and similar events that highlight just how radical and
controversial his policies are.
The recent DHS Report is a perfect example of a news event that should
have had people out in the street protesting. This report, which
paints conservatives as potential terrorists, could have (and still
should be) used as a bludgeon to show how radical and intolerant this
administration actually is. There should be demonstrations demanding
the resignation of the "hater" Janet Napolitano. It is not enough
that the basic story received airplay on many networks and was
discussed by the pundits. he public must get a sense of the outrage
that the report represents. The message should be that the
administration is using America's security apparatus to pursue its
political enemies as terrorists. The story must be driven to a higher
level of exposure, and the only way to do that is to organize
demonstrations. This story should not be allowed to die so easily.
Another situation ripe for protest is the recent decision to kill the
D.C. voucher program which allows low-income students to attend
private schools. That decision demonstrates the hypocrisy of an
administration that places the interests of teacher unions above the
children they are paid to teach. It is also an opportunity to show
that whites and conservatives support black inner city families and
their children. Once again, the issue has received some media
attention, but demonstrations can underscore the sense of outrage
people feel about the decision, provide a springboard for media
stories, and provide an opportunity for conservative politicians to
comment (should they ever find their spines).
We don't have much time to act. Our message must break out from the
conservative media to reach even those who pay scant attention to
such things.
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