I'm one of those life-long Democrats who supports Barack Obama with no enthusiasm -- because he won't fight. I know, I know -- "he has his own style," and "his hands are tied by the intransigence of the right-wing Tea Folk," blah blah blah.
I don't believe it. You want to know what fighting looks like? Look at the Republicans. Here's what fighting looks like:
1) Pick fights that fire up your base.
2) Choose a short, punchy, memorable message. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
3) Make it personal.
4) Inflict as much damage on the opposition as possible, while taking as little heat as possible.
Okay -- so, instead of whining and complaining about the way the "dark side" fights, why don't we (Obama, Democrats, Us) do what they do? What would this actually look like? Follow me below the burnt umber squiggly....
Okay, HERE'S WHAT FIGHTING LOOKS LIKE, at least to me. This is what I want Barack Obama and the Dems doing, instead of wringing their hands and moaning about "extremism."
1) "Pick A Fight That Fires Up The Base" -- I'm betting every single Kossack reading this is outraged that the hypocritical right-wing zealots in the House are trying to decimate food stamps. How can do this? Because they know they'll get HUGE props from their Tea Party base, and no significant push-back from Obama and the Dems (besides the usual throat clearing and "tut tuts."
So what if Obama and the Dems saw this is an opportunity to attack? What if they decided to make the Tea Party idiots pay a price for their mean-spirited, gratuitous cruelty?
2) Short, Punchy, Memorable Message -- The message falls out of the story. So what's the story? "Republican Farm Subsidy Millionaires Very Happy to Have Taxpayers Make Them Rich While They Starve Children." So what's the infinitely repeatable message? I dunno...here's some starters:
"FEED STARVING AMERICANS, STARVE TEA PARTY PORKSTERS"
"DON'T LET RIGHT-WING FARM WELFARE MILLIONAIRES STARVE OUR KIDS"
"FEED THE NEEDY, STARVE PORK BARREL POLITICIANS"
This is what the Heath Brothers would call a "sticky story" -- one that aligns with people's (appropriately cynical) beliefs, and churns up outrage, pointed at hypocritical Republicans
3) Make It Personal -- I'm going to mention some names. See if you recognize them:
• Willie Horton
• Terri Schiavo
• Elian Gonzales
• Monica Lewinsky
Each one a right-wing 'symbol' of some alleged Dem 'folly.' So what's the lesson here? People are interested in people. People remember people. Taking one person -- or family -- and making him/her/it the 'face' of an issue is way more effective than talking in abstract terms about food stamps and starving middle class workers and hunger, etc. Be memorable.
What I'm suggesting -- this is what fighting looks like -- is Barack Obama traveling out into the American heartland hard hit by the Great Recession -- Kansas, Arkansas, Ohio, etc. Find a family that's on the brink of starvation, with parents who have been thrown out of work by good middle-class (Union) jobs being shipped overseas. This family must be one of the ones that the Republicans will throw off Food stamps. Let these people tell their story. Make it real, make it heartbreaking. These are not abstract statistics. They are your neighbors. Have Barack Obama look into the camera and say, "I don't care what a bunch of millionaire Republicans, taking millions in government welfare -- I'm talking about you, Robert Anderholt -- Stephen Fincher -- Frank Lucas -- say about food stamps. We are Americans. We help our neighbors in need. The Jones family will not starve to death on my watch. If you're with me, contact your Congressman."
4) Inflict as much damage on the opposition as possible, while taking as little heat as possible. What these CongressCritters are doing is indefensible (outside the Tea Party bubble). Define the issue (we can't let our neighbors starve), bullhorn the hypocrisy (Repubs lining pockets with taxpayer pork while they vote to starve Americans in need), and launch a coordinated attack -- Barack Obama in the press room, Dems on MSNBC, viral Internet attack ads, etc.
Here's what bugs me about this -- THIS ISN'T COMPLICATED. I'm nobody -- just a passionate progressive with a background in advertising. I figured this out. The tea party idiots in Congress hate Obama and the Democrats with the heat of a thousand suns already -- there is no negative consequence to attacking. This worst thing that can happen is that we end up where we are now. The best thing? Well...
1) We soften up this Republican hypocrites for the 2014 election
2) We caffeinate the base who (like me) are tired of the Dems rolling over.
3) Most importantly, we save millions of Americans from starving to death, or having to dumpster-dive to feed their kids.
Coming Soon -- What Fighting Looks Like -- Social Security