It’s time to address this problem.
Time and time again, I see Democratic leaders and spokespeople continue to fall into the trap set by the corporate media.
OF COURSE, YOU KNOW THIS MEANS ANOTHER FLASH SLAPDOWN PRESENTATION BELOW THE FOLD…
Here’s the set-up:
The pundit or reporter singles out one particular heavy-hitting point (that is not accepting in the corporate media) that a protestor or war critic has made — even if it’s a valid one — and then asks the Democrat if this is something they support. It is done frequently on the American news shows.
It is a technique that squeezes the nuance out of the argument and pressures the interviewee to take a stand.
Almost every time, the Democrat (I guess, knowing that it is a setup)flounders to try to not to answer the question. They humm and haw and try to explain to the reporter that it’s not as simple as that.
NEWSFLASH!
The reporter ain’t listening. You have fallen for their trap.
It is a technique that inevitably makes the Democrat look sneaky and coy. “Oh, there he goes again!” the gullible viewer is inclined to conclude. “Can’t he just answer the question?!”
Guess what?
Cindy Sheehan showed how to diffuse this technique with MSNBC this week. And she puts the Democrats to shame….
The following Flash video presentation will show you how this propaganda technique was used recently on Fox News and how the Dems flailed. Now, don’t get me wrong. I agree with everything the Dem spokespeople were saying. The “Blah blah’s” merely represent the ineffective wasted words made by the Dems through the eyes of the Republican / moderate viewer. This is because:
1. They are in a hostile forum.
2. They do not answer the question directly.
Again, my focus is on the methods here — not the content.
Here’s the presentation:
(The link to go to the You Tube page — if you want to rate it there — is HERE.)
Yes!
That’s a Great piece.
You nailed Hannity cold.
You nailed the technique cold.
You nailed it all.
I realized that I answer yes to all of it, which is probably why I so pissed off at the Democrats right now.
So many people want to hear yes.
Keep it up.
But it ‘aint just Hannity that is doing it.
Even Colmes was participating in this tactic — and he is supposed to be on our side?!!!
So how to you flip it?
Connect it to a similar statement from a prominent Con?
Agree and say nothing?
Yes… leave the dramatic pause?
Yes, and hit back below the belt?
Yes and hit back above the belt?
So many options.
I think each has merit.
Is to do EXACTLY what Cindy Sheehan did.
Don’t deny it.
and then explain in no uncertain terms why she said “YES”.
I understand not denying it, but what if she just said yes, and let the head be dumbfounded?
I think that might be more powerful.
It sounded like a justification. And it never got a chance to sink in.
The only problem with that is that Cindi’s question was not laced with venom. Hannity loaded that question; made it so she couldn’t say yes.
“Are you saying that our soldiers are rapists and murderers?”
“How long ago did you quit beating your wife?”
Pretty loaded question.
I really liked the presentation, and the concept, but it requires a bit more fleshing out as far as tactics go.
Plan A – dealing with a serious question.
“Yes.” like Cindi did.
Plan B – answering a loaded question.
“When did you stop beating your wife, Sean? How do you like that question, Sean.” “Are some of our soldiers killing and raping? The answer is yes. Are our troops terrorizing the Iraqi people, yes.”
I don’t have TV any longer. Maybe I’ll poke on over to Crooks and Liars and do some more thinking.
Thanks for your work, SG.
Cheers,
ron