Palin: Rules for Defeating Obama

NOTE: THURSDAY A.M. I'LL HAVE UP A BLOCKBUSTER PIECE ABOUT HOW SARAH PALIN AND HER SUPPORTERS CAN ACCELERATE THE MSM'S TRAVEL DOWN THE ROAD TO OBLIVION. THE GOAL SHOULD BE TO PUT KATIE COURIC, CHARLIE GIBSON, AND JOHN ROBERTS OUT OF BUSINESS.

"Gonna getcha Barack Obama . . . you betcha!"

To defeat Barack Obama in 2012, Sarah Palin will need to rely on all her fabled toughness. She also needs to understand -- and use to her own advantage -- the tactics David Axelrod and Barack Obama learned from fabled "community organizer" Saul Alinsky.

Alinsky was a Chicago-area agitator who wrote a classic grassroots organizing treatise called Rules for Radicals. Much-misunderstood, Alinsky influenced both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, neither of whom ever completely grasped what he was about. Those of us who oppose Obama can learn much of value from Alinsky’s principles. As you'll see, these are the tactics used against Sarah Palin -- and, to a lesser extent, against McCain

• “Rub raw the sores of discontent” – in other words, get unhappy people angry enough to demand change;


• Convince skeptical people that real change is possible (“Yes, we can!” "Change we can believe in!");
  Understand that hopefulness can overcome a sense of powerlessness;


• Sharpen resentments, fan hostilities, and exploit old and new controversies;


• Begin organizing by first disorganizing the community -- that is, shaking them out of their complacency;


• Convince your opponent that your movement is unstoppable ("It's OUR time");


• Stay within your people’s comfort zone – their limited experience (e.g., symbols are more effective than substance);


• Force your opponents outside their comfort zone to create uncertainty and fear;


• Demand your opponents obey their stated rules, which they usually won’t;


• Use ridicule to infuriate your opposition and generate overreaction (e.g., Obama’s “lipstick on a pig” slur against Palin);


• Apply tactics that your people enjoy carrying out (e.g., chanting slogans);


• Change your tactics regularly to keep your opponents off-balance (e.g., take the political high-road and then shift to the low-road);


• Maintain constant pressure on the opposition to encourage confusion (e.g., make so many charges your opponent will have to spend excessive time answering them);


• Remember: threatening an extreme action is more terrifying than carrying it out (e.g., "there could be riots in the streets");


• Have an alternative ready when your opponents make a proposal;


• Avoid vague abstractions by picking, personalizing, and polarizing the target (e.g., "four more years of George Bush!")

If you go through these “Rules” line-by-line, you’ll be reminded of what Axelrod and Obama did (such as using fear and ridicule/smear tactics). You’ll also understand exactly how we must proceed to overcome Obama and his minions. Being “Mr. Nice Guy” and “Miss Nice Gal” will get us nothing.