LBJ used those tactics effectively ... against both the right and the anti-war left ... and nobody questioned it. Nixon just copied what was SOP under LBJ.
Rahm&Co went after Rush in the spring and obviously forgot all the teachings of Alinsky in doing it. Alinsky teaches to first pick off small winnable battles that will destroy the allies of the real enemy one at a time.
Then, when sufficient supporters of the enemy have been intimidated or neutralized, pick off the bigger targets. So, to follow the Alinsky method, Rahm&Co should cause trouble for talkradio advertisers.
Selling gold on talkradio and gold at an all time high? Clearly the gold merchants (and not gubmint deficits) have weakened the dollar and hurt America. So the gold merchants are anti-American, unpatriotic and must be destroyed.
Some small town talkradio host did a parody of Obama? Clearly racist and that station’s license should be re-distributed in the public interest.
And you know what? Many sunshine patriots will start to disassociate themselves from each other and start fighting among themselves.
hubris no doubt
“LBJ used those tactics effectively...”
If you are relatively old and grew up in Texas, you know that LBJ was hardly subtle when he wanted to throw his weight around politically. He was likely to grab your shoulder give you a big Texas “Howdy” and then if you were crossing him politically, tell you he would break your arm if you did not do what he wanted.
Zero has his own Chicago thugs to do the same with none of LBJ’s Texas hospitality.