The Democrats recently used the tactics of hysteria, paranoia, and uncouth behavior to repeatedly disrupt the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The man, who is now considered to be the spawn of Satan by the left, has been subjected to a barrage of attacks, and it hasn’t been on policy either. Kavanaugh has been the target of scorn and derision for committing the fatal sin of being chosen by President Donald Trump.
Brett Kavanaugh
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) tried to portray Kavanaugh as a racist, but that failed. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) attempted to make Kavanaugh reveal his sinister motives on abortion, but that failed. Now, the left is accusing Kavanaugh of being a rapist, an obvious political ploy that is bound to fail because the allegation is shred to pieces once you comb through all the details.
From the day Kavanaugh’s name floated around about potentially being selected to serve on the Supreme Court, the left already knew they’d oppose his nomination, no matter what. Despite being a moderate conservative – he opposes racial profiling, supports the Patriot Act, and believes Roe v. Wade is binding – the press is depicting him as a perverted, powerful villain from a late-night B movie.
Just take a gander at these two headlines from The London Guardian related to Kavanaugh:
“Rapists have no place on the supreme court. Kavanaugh's accuser must be heard.”
“Can men be nice to some women and rape others? Of course.”
Yeesh!
But should you be surprised by these antics? Not really. The left has utilized the teachings of Saul Alinsky’s influential 1971 book, Rules for Radicals, for years. The eighth rule explicitly states: “Keep the pressure on. Never let up.”
Alinsky further opines:
“Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new. Attack, attack, attack from all sides, never giving the reeling organization a chance to rest, regroup, recover and re-strategize.”
The strategy has expanded beyond confirmation hearings to a whole host of issues and policies.
Outrage Du Jour
The left sure loves to be outraged, but this is how you successfully apply pressure on the opposition.
Since Inauguration Day 2017, a day hasn’t gone by when there isn’t some outrage du jour pertaining to President Trump. It’s nauseating at this point.
The Counterfeit News Network is upset because the president eats two scoops of ice cream. MSNBC adds to its inventory of tin foil each broadcast by thinking every Republican is a secret Russian agent. The rest of the network alphabet soup maintains its steady supply of negative coverage – the latest study pegged the number at 90%.
A breaking news story, a segment, or commentary about the president always contains some incendiary adjective: “furious,” “unglued,” “volcanic,” “dismayed,” and “anxious.” Every policy announcement emanating from this White House is always “controversial,” as opposed to the common use of “historical” to describe announcements from the previous administration.
Of course, this type of coverage only adds fuel to the protest fires that seem to occur daily. The left swarms the streets of U.S. cities, holding vulgar, conspiratorial, or false placards. This generates attention and sympathy from the press – the same cannot be said for right-leaning demonstrations.
With the midterm elections just weeks away, and the 2020 presidential contest right around the corner, the left, the media, Big Tech, and Democrats are keeping up the pressure. They are throwing everything at the president to ensure they do not repeat the same mistake of 2016.
Between now and November 2020, you can expect the talking heads on television and your left-leaning colleagues to parrot the innumerable talking points, such as everyone’s favorite: “The walls are closing in on President Trump.”
The objective is clear: Take down Trump at all costs, whether it is through political theater or fake news. “Attack, attack, attack from all sides.”
Can the Right Apply Pressure?
In February 2017, Townhall published a fun piece, titled “Shoving Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals Right Back in the Left’s Ugly Face.” It essentially encourages the right to rip the pages out of the Alinsky rulebook and turn the tables on the left. The right has taken advantage of some of the rules, particularly Rule Four, but it has primarily done its own thing, like trying to garner support through facts, truth, and logic.
What about Rule Eight?
Well, it depends on how you define pressure. The right may not be invading Silicon Valley, sparking violent protests on college campuses, or holding demonstrations in Hollywood every couple of hours, but it is using the power of the marketplace to gain long-term victories in the culture war. They are tuning out of award shows, they are skipping the box office, they are shutting off the boob tube, and they are logging out of social media.
Slow and steady wins the race.
While shrugging and carrying on will not generate sensational international headlines, it is hurting the industries’ pocketbooks. Hollywood, the mainstream press, and Big Tech may be too big and powerful to care if conservatives and libertarians are shunning their products, but we must remember the advice from our childhood: Slow and steady wins the race.
In the 1970s, you could fill your typical convenience store with libertarians. Today, you need convention centers to hold a libertarian event. The Tea Party didn’t immediately control the House, the Senate, State Legislatures and Governor Mansions, but with grassroots campaigns, endorsements of liberty-oriented political candidates, and holding the Democrats’ feet to the fire, the movement made history in ’16. America’s youth scoffed at conservative principles and traditions for years, but now Generation Z is the most conservative since the Silent Generation – the one that preceded Baby Boomers.
Legendary Russian author Leo Tolstoy – no, he isn’t an agent for the Kremlin – wrote: “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” The right will apply the pressure, but it is employing long-term strategies to attain their goals, not short-term outbursts that make you appear hysterical and crazy, turning off the sane population, something the left knows all too well these days.
What do you think of Saul Alinsky’s Rule Eight? Let us know in the comments section!
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