Posted on 12/06/2021 5:32:39 AM PST by Kaslin
The left has mastered many clever tactics to defeat the right in recent years, not based on substantive arguments but rather on tricking people. One is straight out of Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals and the right is falling into the trap. Rule No. 5 states, “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” It basically consists of using 4th grader insults to coerce people into a herd attack mentality. They mastered it with former President Donald Trump, “orange man bad.”
It didn’t used to be that way. Although Rules for Radicals came out in 1972, it didn’t achieve the level of success it has now for quite awhile. Ronald Reagan was able to survive the left’s much more muted attacks and leave an impressive legacy. Even historians rank him the 13th greatest president of all time, and they aren’t known for any bias toward the right.
Trump was an unknown in politics, who was a registered Democrat for years. Many — if not most — conservatives didn’t support him in the 2016 presidential primary because we thought he was a moderate. He wasn’t a far right conservative with a history of radical statements. But because the left has gotten so good at this tactic, they were able to make the most powerful man in the world running the freest country in the world seem like an extremist.
Trump wasn’t much different than Reagan in terms of policy. But by pouncing on his sarcastic tweets and off-the-cuff remarks, they were able to create this faux impression of him. The reality is Trump has a gifted sense of humor. In another life he could have been a comedian. Now imagine holding comedians up to everything they say on stage — which ironically is what the left is starting to do to them, especially Dave Chappelle.
Everyone knew Trump was joking when he made his insults. They were over the top and made you laugh. But the left pretended they were serious. The left mastered taking his remarks out of context. They took it to a whole other level when they tried to claim his remarks called for violence on January 6, resulting in criminal investigations.
A hundred years ago, Trump could have been a funny leader and no one would have batted an eye. But in this politically correct era of snowflakes where everyone pretends to be constantly offended, the left can make traction against someone like that. Think of how many people on the right you know who bought into it; ranted about Trump’s mouth and don’t want him to run again in 2024.
Trump had the same mouth — if not worse — before he got into politics, and was wildly popular. The Celebrity Apprentice lasted for eight seasons, excellent for a reality TV show. At its debut, viewership rivaled Survivor and American Idol at their heights. And by its last season under Trump, it performed better than Shark Tank and Dancing With the Stars. It’s since bombed under Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Trump accomplished as much as Reagan, if not more. The inroads he made into picking up minority votes alone were incredible for a Republican president in the modern era — especially considering how the left’s main criticism of the right today is that we’re racist. But this new era of judging politicians by how politically correct they are will never allow him to be considered one of the great presidents. They’ve disqualified him based on his clever sarcastic wit.
Any other conservatives at the top fond of saying provocative things are also gradually being destroyed. In Congress, their biggest targets are Marjorie Taylor-Greene, Paul Gosar, Lauren Boebert, Josh Hawley and Matt Gaetz. Can you remember anything they’ve said that was over the top? Probably not, because taken within the entire context of how they were saying it — sarcasm, metaphor not literally, merely a coincidence, etc. — the comments weren’t particularly remarkable. Only if you distort their statements and believe that they really want to do things like murder fellow Americans could you take them seriously. Never mind that The Squad has said far more provocative things.
If Trump is destroyed enough so he doesn’t run again, we’re just going to elect someone like Ron DeSantis, who will deliver exactly the same agenda as Trump. He’s no more of a “radical extremist” than Trump. It’s not like the left is saving us from fascism by moving on to DeSantis instead of Trump. They stigmatize leaders on the right in order to discredit conservative principles, by associating the “horrible” Trump with conservative principles, as well as to hinder us by setting us back in terms of fundraising and support, since it will take awhile to get DeSantis or someone else back to the level of conservative support where Trump was.
Until we wake up and realize that the left is merely using Alinsky’s No. 5 Rule, and push back, the left will continue to take down any of our leaders who dare to have a sense of humor and lead outside of a teleprompter. There is a reason Biden is glued to his teleprompter, the left is fully aware of how successful this tactic is. Trump would have been a wild success in the Reagan years. Political correctness arose at the end of those years, which we thought was horrible, so it’s frightening to consider how much worse it has become since then. Now everything is racist and race relations have worsened due to the false labels.
You may not personally like the flamboyant style of some of these outspoken leaders on the right, and prefer that more well-spoken conservatives run for office. But even if that happens, the left is going to come after them eventually for minor statements. Look up almost any major politician on the right and you will find a lengthy description somewhere — usually on their Wikipedia page, in contrast to the left whose radical statements are ignored and scrubbed clean from Wikipedia — about some random statement they made which the left took out of context.
Dear Rachel,
DJT used the SAME Alinsky rules in the Republican primaries and against HRC . . . sorry if you were too dense to notice.
The left is full of low IQ morons who will follow any brain dead idiot.
Just using the lefti tactics back at them
They hate that.
Sarcasm and ridicule
From the pen of the great Lesgo Brandon.
Rachel must be a lot younger than me to think this is a recent phenomena. The left hated and attacked Nixon, Ford, Reagan, H.W. Bush, Dubya Bush, and Trump. They also hated and attacked the unsuccessful candidates Goldwater, Dole, McCain & Romney. I’m not old enough to recall direction how they treated Eisenhower or Dewey, but I can’t imagine it was any different.
But the overall premise is sound - (R) bad; (D) good. And it has been going on a VERY long time.
What are you talking about? Is Hillary now considered a “fringe extremist now because of Trump? Uh, no.
The Republicans could run Bill Clinton and the leftists would attack him as they did Trump.
All true, but the back in the forties and fifties the media was smaller and focused mainly on information, not opinion. Democrats certainly didn’t like Dewey, but the left didn’t love Truman either. There was partisanship, but it was less ideological, less bitter, and less polarizing.
The Left (including the enemedia) consistently project their own extremist behavior on conservatives.
Actually, it is (anti-commie) bad; (commie) good. There are two proofs of this, in addition to your own list. First, the Dems couldn't say nasty things about Eisenhower, not only because he was the Hero of WWII, but because he didn't act anti-commie after the war (unlike Patton), and he let Nixon be his attack dog when it came to rooting out commies; also, Dewey was anti-Mafia more than anti-commie, which was OK with the Dems at that time. Second, the Dems not only turned against every GOPer who was anti-commie (which was all of them from Nixon on), but they also destroyed the one anti-commie of their own, LBJ, after they got all the leftist laws out of him; if he had surrendered in Viet Nam they would have made him their idol, but because he wouldn't they made him their goat.
Reading comprehension seems not to be a strong suit for you
Look at Alinsky’s rules and if you can’t figure out he used NINE of them in 2016 I can’t help illuminate you any more. How you think that is NEGATIVE is beyond me. He turned it around on the Dems and the primary challengers.
Pick out the ones he used, it should be pretty easy to see:
SAUL ALINSKY’S 13 RULES FOR RADICALS
Excerpted from Saul Alinsky’s book: Rules For Radicals, published in 1971.
“Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have.“
Power is derived from 2 main sources – money and people. ‘Have-Nots’ must build power from flesh and blood.
“Never go outside the expertise of your people.“
It results in confusion, fear and retreat. Feeling secure adds to the backbone of anyone.
“Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy.“
Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty.
“Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules.“
If the rule is that every letter gets a reply, send 30,000 letters. You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all of their own rules.
“Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.“
There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions.
“A good tactic is one your people enjoy.“
They’ll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They’re doing their thing, and will even suggest better ones.
“A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.“
Don’t become old news.
“Keep the pressure on. Never let up.“
Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new.
“The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.“
Imagination and ego can dream up many more consequences than any activist.
“The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition.”
It is this unceasing pressure that results in the reactions from the opposition that are essential for the success of the campaign.
“If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.“
Violence from the other side can win the public to your side because the public sympathizes with the underdog.
“The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.“
Never let the enemy score points because you’re caught without a solution to the problem.
“Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.“
Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions.
Blow it out your ass.
Do you not understand that Trump utilized Alinsky to destroy HRC? Are you really this thick? Turning Alinsky around on the Dem’s is a GOOD THING, not bad!
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