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I Am Not a Manufactured Protester
I am not a “manufactured” protester. In fact, I’m not a protester at all, since my Congressman and Senators are all opposed to Obamacare. My outrage, however, isn’t paid for interest groups or K-Street Lobbyists.
I wish it were, I could use the money.
No, I’m just a private citizen who is choosing to speak up. No ulterior motive, other than making sure that our system gains true reform, not the garbage proposed by the current Congress.
It is unfortunate that I cannot go to one of these health care Townhall meetings and give my Congressman a piece of my mind, because I’m more than prepared to do so were he in favor of it. Not that it would do any good. These “open” Townhall meetings are now going to be closed, orchestrated events thanks to righteously angry protesters, the same ones that Robert Gibbs called “manufactured.” Their protests garnered so much media attention and backfired so strongly upon the Democrats that they are running scared, casting epithets and lying about the protester’s associations along the way.
Given this, I propose a different strategy:
Don’t go to the Townhall meetings.
There is an old expression used in the military: “Don’t hit ‘em where they are. Hit ‘em where they ain’t!” Or more accurately, “Don’t hit ‘em where they’re strong, hit ‘em where they’re weak!”
Where are the Democrats weak? Where they don’t control the flow of information, that’s where. These Townhall gatherings are nothing more than infomercials or press releases. Nothing is supposed to come out
that they don’t want. The result is these new closed events, which are less “Townhall” and more “Campaign Event.” No, to oppose the Legislators who support the current health care plan, we must go where the politicians have no control.
Where can we go? Social networking sites, for a start. Facebook and Twitter easily allow the dissemination of news articles, blogs and other information. If you don’t know how to write, you probably read from the blogs and news articles of those who do. You needn’t be a blogger to get the message out.
Next up, YouTube. Steven Crowder, admittedly with a semi-professional budget, put up a video about the Canadian health care system that was linked and tweeted and referenced for weeks afterward. While you may
not garner a following of millions like some on YouTube, if a video is entertaining and informative, it will be viewed.
New media isn’t the only necessary step. Real-life action, such as the Tea Party protests, are also important. While Jeneanne Garofalo might call you a racist redneck, no one has really cared what she says for about a decade now. You’ll be fine. Don’t worry about starting a protest, rally or other gathering as there are plenty going on. If you do start an event, kudos.
Finally, once you are informed and properly energized, call your Congressman. You won’t get into the Townhalls, but we need to confront them. This is what the military calls the “mop-up” operation. Once you have cornered them everywhere else, you take the fight to your enemy’s remaining strongholds and destroy them there. Same goes for politics.
It’s unlikely you’ll speak to anyone except a staffer less interested in you than you are in watching another Obama press conference, but when enough constituents call it gets noticed. Ask why they support socialized medicine. Have the facts ready to go. Be prepared with information on rationing care in Britain. Talk about the limitations on changing private coverage. Ask why there are no provisions in the plan for dealing with cost-increasing insurance mandates. Make a point of the fact that you vote, and your vote goes to the person who wants real reform, not platitudes and rationed care.
It will not be easy. It will take numerous tweets, links, videos and phone calls. Remember that, above all else, a politician wants to be re-elected. If their staffers are overwhelmed with letters, e-mails and phone calls from people who oppose the Congressional “reform” plan, they will have little choice but to vote “No,” or face the consequences at the polls.
Cross posted at Seekng Liberty.
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