The rats are truly idiots. Getting opposition? Vilify the doubters!
When opposition ranks swell, vilify them some more.
When their ranks are overwhelming, wake up your leader, bring him back to town to spread some silver tongued lies.
When that doesn’t work, what do you think the rat response will be?
Compile a database of enemies from social networks, like Facebook, and find ways to intimidate them. Find ways to silence and intimidate talk radio, Fox News, internet blogs. Audit tax returns and find other ways to harass and prosecute opponents. Set up some circuses, like prosecuting CIA agents, John Ashcroft, Dick Cheney. Create more support by removing people from the tax rolls and/or legalizing their immigration status and organize them into goon squads to attack protestors and voters in Republican districts. Imprison protestors. All sorts of things.
When the rats run out of ideas, they can always consult Putin, Chavez, or Ahmadinejad. They know how to handle dissent.