Our legal system is commonly referred to as an "adversary system." The theory is that both sides should zealously represent their clients, that said clients are being represented by competent counsel, and that the side with the better arguments on the facts and the law will prevail in this system. In a perfect world, the side with the better argument should always win. If all other factors are equal, this will almost always happen. But all factors aren't always equal.
External factors such as skill level, local knowledge, the process, money, etc... can change the playing field, sometimes to the point where the weaker side prevails.
The same logic holds true in a political debate. Put any conservative in the country in a debate against me in a fair forum and I win 100% of the time. Change the rules to make my job harder and that percentage goes down. Make the rules really unfair and my percentage will drop below 50%.
The goal here is to minimize and eliminate the unfair advantages.
Progressives, moderates, and liberals start with a distinct advantage against any conservative. We have the facts, common sense, outcomes, reason, and logic on our side. Put an equal liberal v. an equal conservative in a fair forum and the liberal wins every time. It's not because you are inherently smarter, it's because you have the facts and issues on your side. Give me the weaker argument in a debate with a formidable opponent and I will lose, no matter how good I actually am.
When you call in to a right wing talk radio show, you are facing the huge disadvantage of being unable to control the microphone. They can disconnect you, talk over you, or put you on hold as they speak unanswered. But even these disadvantages can be overcome because its deleterious effect is not enough to negate the huge issue advantage you have over conservatives. Thankfully, most of the right wing talking heads of today are unintelligent so your chance to make an impact is greater.
However, if the lack of being able to control the microphone is compounded with other unforced errors, the playing field eventually shifts to the point where the blowhard right winger can make up the ground on the issues. Here are some common unforced errors that people make and here are suggestions on how to avoid them.
1. Stay within yourself. This sounds cheesy but I list it first for a reason. Don't try and throw the ball 60 yards if you can only throw it 20. Stick to what you do best and argue using your style. If you can multi-task, multi-task. If you like to tell anecdotes, tell anecdotes. If you are a numbers person, use numbers. If you like using quotes, use quotes. Stay within yourself at all times.
2. Know your issues - Granted, many of the foils on talk radio are actually conservatives pretending to be liberals but not all of them are. If you are going to call up a show, do some homework first. In short, BE PREPARED. You know that the right wing talking points for this week are false claims of Obama flip flops, false claims that Obama has no positions on issues, false claims of Obama shifting positions, and gas prices. So take 15 minutes of your time and be prepared.
3. It's okay not to know everything. Who does? It's possible that the talk show host will bring up something you did not know or never heard of. Acknowledge that you've never heard that or that you will check on your own. Question the truthfulness of the host and ask for some proof.
4. Don't fall for BS questions. So you are on the air and you are making a rock solid point about gas prices and Mr. Goebbels interrupts you and goes, "Let me ask you a question, do you agree with Barack Obama's plan to raise taxes."
The purpose of a question is to stop you from giving facts about gas prices and to propagandize on another issue. Know how to handle the BS question. You can
a) Promise to answer after you finish my other point.
b) Point out immediately that the question is a lie (You don't have to use this word, you can say that's incorrect, untrue, etc...) and then say let me finish the point I was making before being interrupted.
c) Calmly but firmly say that you are not going to answer a question that is untrue or flawed but would be happy to answer any question that is factual and fair.
d) Point out that the question is bogus and talk about Obama's plan to cut middle class taxes. When interrupted, insist that you would like to give facts about Obama's tax plan.
5. Cite authority. This is a fallback position but very effective. If you are getting peppered about what "Barack Obama stands for," (Since none of us can remember the hundreds of bills he has sponsored offhand) you can do as follows:
a) You know, instead of me listing hundreds of his accomplishments, I'll do better. Why don't your listeners go to barackobama.com or senate.gov and see for themselves. When badgered, why don't you tell us and you don't know offhand, repeat your mantra that you want others to see who is telling the truth and that they should do their own homework. If you have a list in front of you or know 10 accomplishments off the top of your head, ask if you can list them. Specify the number ahead of time. Say, "I'll list __ (5, 10, etc..) Obama accomplishments right now if you'll let me."
6. Try not to let lies and false frames go unchallenged.
As the late George Carlin said, if you are arguing the other person's language and frames they win. Challenge the false frames and quickly give some facts to back it up.
This is slightly tricky because you don't want to always get bogged down in minutiae. Find the balance to address the lies and get back to your topic or point as soon as possible. You can even say that such is such is untrue but you prefer to get back to the other point first.
7. Don't get flustered by a barrage of lies.
Propagandists will often ask you a question that has 5 lies in it. For example, "Why are you drinking the Obama Kool Aid when he flip flops on Iran, public financing, flag lapel pins, and his ministers."
Note there are 5 lies in that short 5 second sentence. The host can ask a followup with 5 more lies. Can your mind handle 10 lies at once? No it can't. Instead, point out that you just told 10 lies and you would like to discuss them one by one. Then take a lie and start debunking it. When interrupted, insist. When the propagandist resorts to more yelling or tries to change the topic, insist on answering what he brought up. Eventually he'll get angry, mad, cut your mike, and hang up on you. And you win especially if all callers are on the same page.
8. Listen to the other person. Don't just hear them. When the right winger is talking, you have to listen carefully. One word can mean all the difference. The word "shall" instead of "may" can win or lose a lawsuit. (and has.) One word in a contract can be the difference between you getting sued and not getting sued.
For example, Obama saying that he would try to reach an agreement with John McCain on public financing is not the same as Obama PROMISING to accept public financing.
For example, Obama talking about Iran not being the same kind of threat when compared to the Soviet Union is not the same as Obama saying Iran is not a threat. You have to listen to the words being uttered.
9. Understand the concept of context.
Liars often take quotes out of context or only use part of a paragraph or sentence and then represent that quote as something else. For example, if you hear the sentence before and the sentence after Michelle Obama's proud comments, there's nothing wrong with them. If something is being taken out of context, say so and demand that they play the entire paragraph without editing.
10. Understand the role of the screener. The screener of a right wing talk show usually does not want liberals on for a reason but to create the impression of fairness, they have to let a few on. They are NOT looking for good callers. They want people who they think are uninformed, unintelligble, incoherent, or shrill. So it is okay to act that way with the screener but once you get on the air, revert to being calm, rational, controlled, and factual.
11. Stay calm and slow down.
The biggest mistake speakers, sportscasters, teachers, lawyers, and others make while speaking is that they rush their thoughts. It's okay to slow down. It's okay to pause. If you are not sure what the talk show host said because he was screaming or rushing his words, point out that you didn't hear what was said because he was screaming or ask him politely to repeat that one more time.
These rules apply in public places, interviews, etc... They apply to everyday conversations. Now go get em.
RESOURCES
For Obama's bipartisan accomplishments, see droogies excellent diary here or here..
For Obama's substantive ideas on the issues, see his website here..
For background data on gas prices and drilling, see Devilstowerdiary here.
For McCain's horrible record on military issues, see BarbinMd's diary here.
For a bunch of videos showing the real McCain and his flip flops see here. Also check out the Jed Report.