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PSST... JUST SAY “NO!”
A TVNL Survival Tactic for the Left
27-August-2003 - Contributing Editor
You know something…they’re good. They’re really, really good. The other side, - those right wing media pundits – they’ve got it down to a science. And it works! They’ve got us against the ropes, throwing punches blindly and hitting little more than air. These are the final rounds of the most important fight of our lives, - and we’re groping for a vulnerable spot that may help to score some points. But it ain’t gonna happen unless we sit down, take a deep breath, and come on refreshed and strong in the final rounds. If we don’t change our strategy now, we’re going down for the count in the next presidential election. And that’s for sure.
It’s almost as if there’s a training class for media Bushites somewhere. They interview people on the left in faultless “lock-step,” and with incredible similarity. They attack their unsuspecting progressive prey with practiced innocence – and always in the name of patriotism and love of country. They have mastered the artifice of rhetorical questioning to a fine art that puts the old verbal trap, “Have you stopped beating your wife?” to shame. But they can be stopped, - quite easily: Just say, ‘NO!” - a simple, direct, effective, - and offsetting. “No!”
Start the tape:
But first, see how they bait the trap: Guests will be lured into sounding un-American, unpatriotic and sympathetic to the “enemy.” Guests will be chastised for any criticism of our “wartime” President. References to “terror” or “terrorists” will be used to make the left appear soft on homeland security.
•Pundit’s question: Don’t you think the Iraqi people are better off now that we’ve “liberated” them? (Followed by a smug smile for having successfully sprung the trap.)
•Typical response from the left: Yes…but, but, but,..(followed by pathetic explanations of how evil Saddam was, and how fortunate the world is now that he’s been deposed.)
•Pundit’s comeback: So, you agree that President Bush was right when he decided to invade Iraq and protect us from terrorists?
•Response from the left after having placed one foot in the trap: Uh…..er…..uh….well, not exactly, - but uh…(trap shuts) – literally and figuratively.
Instant Replay:
•Pundit’s question: Don’t you think the Iraqi people are better off now that we’ve “liberated” them? (Followed by a smug smile believing that a trap had been sprung.)
•Response from the left: NO!
•Pundit’s comeback: Uh….er….uh…(Now the only way out is to allow the guest to explain.)
•Response from the left: No apologies, no awkward retreat, no defensive statements. The opportunity now exists for a clear and rational explanation of the position taken by the left.
Let’s Practice:
Q: Aren’t Americans safer now than before the war?
A: (all together now): NO!
Q: Aren’t the “coalition” troops in Iraq defending our freedom?
A: (nice and loud): NO!
Q: Don’t you believe what your President says?
A: (suppress any smile): NO!
Q: Haven’t we won the war in Afghanistan?
A: (incredulous look) NO!
Q: Didn’t the rule of law have to change after 9/11?
A: (as strongly as possible) NO!
Not bad, for beginners, but let’s keep at it. Practice does make perfect. Everyone engaging Bush supporters in discussion has to learn to JUST SAY “NO!” We are approaching the endgame, and the opposition has the edge. They have the money, they have the media, and they will control the message unless we play the game with confidence and clarity.
We can no longer be politically hesitant or defensive. We have to challenge the questions. We have to defy the manipulated phrases. We have to state our positions without fear of shameful accusations of being traitors to our country. In these last rounds, we have to come out punching. Our punches have to land and score the points we desperately need in order to win this fight of all fights. Our strength is in the knowledge that we are right and just in our ideals.
But, for starters… let’s practice our best one-two punch: knowing when to JUST SAY “NO!”
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