Posted on 06/28/2013 6:13:15 PM PDT by rhema
Demonizing personal insults flow far too easily from Minnesota Democrats these days. The latest: Rep. Ryan Winkler calling Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas "Uncle Thomas." Offensive enough on its own, worse, Winkler's attack is but a symptom.
DFL Party Chair Ken Martin and Alliance for a Better Minnesota's Executive Director Carrie Lucking have perfected a systematic program in Minnesota that takes political name calling to a new level.
This strategy is straight out of Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals." Alinsky's Rule #5 states: "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon." Rule #12 says: "Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." The Democrats' implementation in Minnesota is intentional and well-developed:
Step one: Attach a negative personal label to an opponent that appeals to emotion and has nothing to do with governing.
Step two: Spend a few million dollars to make the label stick.
Step three: Have your candidates pretend to take the high road.
Unfortunately, this formula has proven effective for Democrats. It is now a rapid-response machine. As any Republican candidate steps forward to run for public office in 2014, within hours, usually minutes, Martin and Lucking flood the online and traditional media. Here is a recent sampling: "just another rich guy who likes to fire people"; "just another hypocritical, Gingrich politician"; "vulture capitalist and Minnesota Romney wannabe #2"; "anti-government government official"; "isn't quite ready for the bright lights"; "failed businessman, failed gubernatorial candidate and right-wing talker"; "a voice for the hard-core right-wing, not hard-working families"; "an extreme choice for Minnesota." Really.
Minnesota voters deserve better, and even in politics the truth matters. Public officials and candidates put their lives and careers on hold to step forward and serve the people of Minnesota. Attack their ideas, fair enough; but build a messaging machine to insult them personally?
Public confidence in our institutions is at an all-time low, and nowhere more so than in government and politics. The win-at-all-costs, ends-justify-the-means tactics of those who previously would have been called radicals are part of the problem. That they have become mainstream in Minnesota politics is toxic to civic discourse and an insult to our Minnesota ethic.
Yes, the voters deserve a vigorous debate in the 2014 election. But the machine of name calling and personal insults built by the Democrats needs to be exposed for what it is, and they need to shut it down.
Keith Downey, a former Minnesota state representative from Edina, is chairman of the Republican Party of Minnesota.
Demoncrats-The party of Pee Wee Herman.
‘I know you are but what am I?”
Disgusting.
“Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.”
No. Although it’s a strong one....but didn’t become REALLY strong until dueling was made illegal.
Well they are promoting a Weiner in New York and that is pretty Pee Wee.
With their demonization, they’ve gone past Alinsky and moved on to Joseph Goebell’s style tactics.
“Uncle Thomas?”
How original!
Effin low-life scum.
Mark
It is time for all the producers to leave Minnesota and let the state die under the weight of the parasites. The parasites include the limousine liberals in Eden Prairie, Edina, the Lake Minnetonka area, and the other West Metro Suburbs that continue to be stuck in a junior high mentality. That and the conservative western farm counties can secede and join North Dakota.
“...but didn’t become REALLY strong until dueling was made illegal.”
Without doubt.
IMHO
“...that continue to be stuck in a junior high mentality...
Exacly where they are.
IMHO
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