From Health Care For America Now, a counter-thug strategy. One might add that we need bodies, people, numbers at these town hall meetings. They wanted a scrap — let's give 'em a scrap.
- Do not debate on their “policy” points. Remember, they are seeking a platform to distort the truth about reform by making health care about abortion, rationing, euthanasia, etc. Rather than try to reply with the truth (which won't move them anyway) we should respond with our message and at every turn re-focus the agenda on communicating with the Member of Congress.
- Interrupt them when they get disruptive and refocus the meeting: Line up a number of people who feel comfortable interrupting and prepare them with statements like:
- “Excuse me, I came today to listen to Representative XXX explain how this bill is going to make health care more affordable for me and my family. We're being gouged by insurance companies that just want to make more profits while we struggle to keep up with premiums and co-pays. Representative, how are you going to fix that?”
- “I'm retired and can't afford my prescription drugs because I'm on a fixed income. Representative, how is this bill going to affect me?”
- I want to hear the Representative speak. He's the one voting on the bill. Representative, how will this bill help people who already have insurance at work?”
- “What I'm worried about is how we're going to keep the insurance companies from continuing to charge people more for being sick and keep them from taking away coverage when we need it most. What's the plan for that?”
- Don't get into a shouting match with them. Instead, prep people on our side to keep raising the questions that we want answered. Repetition is the key. We need to arm our side with questions that play to the strength of our message and make sure we keep bringing them up over and over so that the press recognizes those central themes. We should also phrase those questions strategically to help move the message.
- “Over the last XX years, insurance company profits have risen XXX %; in this bill you would regulate insurance companies so that they can no longer deny people with pre-existing conditions and would have to play by fair rules. Isn't that right, Representative XX?”
- “Isn't it true that this bill would guarantee everyone a choice of public health insurance option that will lower cost overall in the system?”
- Address the MOC directly with a positive message: Remember, these Members need cover and they are getting beaten up by right wing zealots in these meetings. We want to let the Member know that we appreciate his efforts to hear constituents and that we, the majority, agree with him.
- We should demonstrate that we are the majority by chanting: When the other side gets too loud, we should shut them down with chants that counter their message like “Health Care Can't Wait!” and “Health Care Delayed is Health Care Denied” and prep people to chant at key points when the other side gets most disruptive.
- Follow up with the Member one-on-one: This experience may have been trying for your MOC. Make sure that you thank him and that you let him know that the majority is with him. He needs to know that we will provide cover and support him at every turn for his leadership on this issue.
I have to say, I am rueful that the teabaggers are actually showing up, and that both supportive reps and the pro-health-care movement seem to have been blindsided on how to deal with it. But I think if we get our numbers, we'll make our case to the public — which we needed to do anyway. Call this a necessary discipline.
Discuss
46 Comments . Comments are closed.I'm not so sure...
that out-shouting them is the answer. I'm not sure what the answer is, but I'm not sure that these 6 items are the right approach.
It says ...
"Don't get into a shouting match with them. Instead, prep people on our side to keep raising the questions that we want answered. Repetition is the key." etc.
Interrupt them when they get disruptive
and
We should demonstrate that we are the majority by chanting
Neither of those two things seem to reflect the Rockwell painting you posted earlier today.
What Would Norman Rockwell Dude Do
Again, what's the solution? I do believe in the civil, town-meeting kind of social interaction. That itself is under attack, not just health care. So until someone has a better solution for standing up to bullying ... we stand up, dominate the discussion and chant as necessary.
both sides seem to be following the george costanza approach to debates
it's not a lie if you believe it.
how so?
because both sides are walking into these
without any semblance of a thought that they are incorrect.
Now we're gonna start ratting out our neighbors to the gestapo? This just keeps getting worse.
Both $quot;sides$quot; are not.
And really, there aren't even "sides" here in the accepted sense. Most people are attending these town hall meetings because they want to learn more, they don't understand the issues, and they haven't staked out a "side" at all. The teabagging thugs are not coming to these meetings to learn, they are coming to disrupt. They are not asking questions because they want information, they are asking questions designed to play "gotcha." They are engaging in behavior designed to shut down dialogue, not facilitate it. In short, they are coming to these events ready to rumble.
Your desire to excuse the bullies on the right by lumping them in with the rest of the general public attending these meetings in good faith is not just silly but entirely disingenuous.
oh yeah, with replies like this?
Nothing is more disingenuous than statements that assume truth in of themselves.
Are you really suggesting that the majority of people
at these things are scripted? I'm sorry, but that's just self-serving bullshit.
Most people are attending to get information for themselves. Your non-response above doesn't address my larger point, but that doesn't surprise me. You've got your talking point and you're sticking to it.
Come out from under the mushroom.
You attend. You write your question on an index card. The host picks and chooses the ones to be answered. Are you telling me THAT is unscripted. Sorry dems, there is no national conspiracy. The electorate is upset! And we're voicing our concerns! Tiis is still America.
Conflation
It's not clear that LightIris agrees with HCAN's proposal for how to handle the teaparty escapees.
What do you suggest?
One side believes in civility -- the fact that the reps have been holding town meetings, and have been blindsided by the disruptors demonstrates at least a good faith attempt at communication.
The other side believes in destroying that civility.
So now what? How do you recommend responding to incivility?
I just want to know which rules we're fighting under. I think my side can win an honest argument. I also think my side can win a crazy, Jerry-Springer-style roller derby.
where does $quot;ratting out our neighbors to the gestapo$quot; come into it?
I understand you may just be trying to insert "traditional conservative values" into the discussion, but your argument seems way over the top.
As lightiris already pointed out, there aren't necessarily sides in this. One would expect most folks coming to these are there to learn and listen. The notes above are on how to counter folks who are only there to disrupt.
Besides, if folks don't know they're incorrect, the Costanza comparison falls apart completely.
Is nothing safe?
Has Glenn Beck infiltrated the usually cooler mind of JoeTS so that he now suffers nightmares about Obama as fascist?
it appears to be GOP FUD
MCRD is also running with it.
I hate to break it to you, but JoeTs is fast become an adult Republican. Soon he will only speak in party approved talking points. So sad to see them grow up. Sniff.
Wow talk about getting your talking points from a special intrest group
HCAN is funded by a who's who of special interest groups on the left. An you have the balls to call the tea party movement astroturf. HAH.
Oops I forgot the list of special interest groups
who are "members" of HCAN.
Seems to be a bit more than the maybe two dozen oranizations on the right that have organized against HR 3200
Differences
2. Not an interest group in the sense of representing an industry.
So now so called $quot;Conservatives$quot; are defending these thugs?
I put "Conservatives" in quotes because the Republican party today, that approves of these tactics of mob intimidation, has very little in common with traditional conservatives. In the past Republicans have included decent people, some of whom I voted for: Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, John Volpe, Frank Sargent, Elliot Richardson, Ed Brooke, Margaret Chase Smith. None of these would be welcome in the Republican party today.
I would like to see a real two party system, with a viable and civilized opposition. Unfortunately the Republicans have been taken over by right-wing extremists: "Christian" fundamentalists (nothing truly Christian about them), and Rush Limbaugh and his ilk.
Michael Bate (my real name - I don't hide behind pseudonyms)
To summarize:
Once you reach a certain diversity and number of "special-interest groups", it either doesn't fit the definition of "special-interest", or it might be simpler just to say this benefits the largest special-interest group of all -- the American people.
I could list all of the groups fighting on our side as well
If I listed every single YR and CR chapter, C4L chapter, etc.
The American People are roundly rejecting Obama Care. As the polling data shows.
Spoil me
Provide a link to a poll. Not a FXN online poll, though.
Those give me hives.
How about 7
go here. I already listed 7 polls within the last week that prove my point.
sorry
link
http://www.bluemassgroup.com/s...
Thanks
Saw this after I posted my last snarky hatstack comment.
I stand by the content.
Oy, the haystack
such a busy boy. You have too many comments to sort through, one by one.
Here is a comment by Gallup:
And the summary:
So if the polls are a jumble, I'll fall back to this one.
Pollster
Here's the trend at pollster.com: http://www.pollster.com/polls/...
Got any comments about the talking points?
With the exception of 5, they seem quite reasonable. In fact, across the board they're much more reasonable than your version.
How does coming from a broad based coalition invalidate them?
It is to larf
Chief, I've been writing about health care for 4 1/2 years. Welcome to the discussion. Good gravy, I've got talking points stored up at this point. You want some?
Astroturf or no, the teabaggers are actual people showing up, and I can't really gainsay that.
Yes but you chose
to use HCAN's while calling concerned citizens astroturf.
shorter EaBo
EaBo?
EaBo is he who protests too much. See below. n/t
That is a complete misrepresenation
of my position. But nice try.
If you noted I have said that there is misinformation that is being perpetrated by my side.
In response to a comment by dweir I wrote the following.
So you can portray me however you want, but you'd be wrong.
flag@whitehouse.gov
Huh,
Have you turned me into Dear Leader yet? You can do so by sending an email to flag@whitehouse.gov. If you'd like here is my contact information.
Please do, I'd hate to have my FOIA request processed and my name not be in Dear Leader's Database.
ah yes, the new $quot;democrats are nazis' taking point
I personally would be ashamed rather than repeating it:
Interestingly, reading the comments, you're not alone in using the Alinsky smear. I'm guessing you both got it from free republic or the American Thinker article.
Of course the poster is completely wrong about the party platform and the nazi's lefty leanings, but that's not what smears are about, right?
$quot;Astroturf$quot;
I don't think you know what this word means.
Yes
It means paid grassroots activism. The only paid grassroots activism in this debate has been the paid canvassers by HCAN over the July 4th weekend. That's astroturf. The citizens showing up because someone sent them an email is not astroturf. It's concerned citizens. So spare me the lectures KBusch.
convenient, but wrong
Astroturf is simply a fake grassroots campaign like the one you're engaged in.
If you were honest
you'd admit I was right -- to use your rhetorical device.
Love the parts you left out
here's the whole action memo
Especially G
Yup this is about free speech.
BS
Especially G
Besides violating fair use, I mean. Any bits you want to highlight?
Since when are primary source emails about curernt events fair use?
Give me a break.
The part with the incendiary rhetoric about radical right wing groups.
Are you a paid union thug?
paid union thug?
In reality, I'm in management, but that's not really relevant.
You might want to read the rules of the road.
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