On the National level maybe, politics is played on the local level, get hard and nasty, they arn't going to publish you anyway. I have been interviewed at many FReeps, nothing positive in the press.
Then we have to work on getting our message out in the local press.
Getting "hard and nasty" might not be the best course of action to get your message through the media filter. Often times the media is looking for "free dirt" from conservative activists to write about (or photograph.) Better to use cleaver humor and charm to get the reporter interested in talking to you and then slip in your hard-hitting "sound bites" when they are captivated by finding an intellegent and interesting person to listen to.
Reporters want compelling stories regardless of idealogy (except for built-in bias that can be maneuvered around.) But above all else remember that EVERYTHING IS ON THE RECORD regardless of how personable and candid the interview appears to be. Let the reporter think they are getting an unprepared stream of conscienceness from you. But in reality make sure you have thought out a good reply for every topic associated with issue that you are FReeping.
If you are prepared, you will be more confident and appear less nervous and distracted. Use the basic prepared responses as the structure for the interview and spice it with some improvization to taylor it to the exact questions being asked and to offer tangible real-time examples that the reporter can use to pretend that they are documenting the event, rather than going through the motions.
This is similar to what was presented in the Media and PR session, but with some of my own experience rolled in. Use the media to get your message publicized for free, don't let the media use you to paint your message in a negative light, merely because of poor planning and/or presentation. We know we have substance behind our message, but if we can't get that message presented to the wide audience that the media reaches, that substance can't grow.
Lastly, every time you can plug "FreeRepublic.com" in an interview or on a protest sign, do it. If their audience gleans the FR domain name from the article, sound bite, photo or video clip, then the content of FR will bring them into our audience to hear a thousand different messages. Like any "brand name," consumer recognition is key to marketshare growth. FR's "advertising budget" is FReepers spreading "FreeRepublic.com" every chance they get.