This is precisely what the Clintons did. I believe it was Bob Woodward who wrote a book about the first days of the Clinton presidency. He quoted Hillary as saying something along the lines of ‘we have to identify victims and villains for the health care reform effort’. I haven't read Alinsky, but they obviously all learned from the same playbook.
Like all moves to the basket, or all ‘tells’ in poker, once you know what to look for you can effectively defend against it. It's crucial to point out over and over again the moves used by the left. Cockroaches don't like light.