We need a strategy to counteract the right wing media

[Nancy Waterman]

It is more powerful than ever. It is no longer simply an issue of better messaging. Democratic messaging and, for that matter, the truth get drowned out by outrageous distortions and outright lies. We have to figure out how to amplify our narrative enough to become a real counter message. It is too easy to blame Obama for not getting the messaging right, but we have been living in a new paradigm here regarding the overwhelming lies from the right and their grip on the electorate. It ishard even for Obama to be heard among the noise.

Watch what happens with Obama's trip. He goes over there to create trade agreements to create jobs in this country, and the Right will turn it into him purposefully outsourcing our jobs. How do we counter the crazies? Do we have think a few steps ahead and preempt these kinds of things? In this case, make a lot of noise about Obama working to create jobs before they get their message in gear? What else?

[datasuspect]

1. strategy = tons of cash

this is what it is all about: THE MONEY.

[blue sky at night]

2. as long as the....

(endless list) are on their side, we are never going to win this war.

[Onlooker]

3. We should call loud and clear for massive tax cuts on the middle class ...

... and large increases in taxes on the wealthy and capital gains.

The argument is simple: Most federal spending ends up in the hands of private enterprise, and it's the wealthy who are best positioned to invest in those enterprises. Thus, in the end the wealthy tend to end up with a large share of the tax revenue.

And when they say it's class warfare, simply say that the billionaires who bankrolled the last elections are the ones engaging in class warfare.

[rhett o rick]

16. How do you propose to force the legislators to listen to us instead of money? nm

[Onlooker]

23. By being activists

The Tea Partiers did what the left and civil rights activists did in the 1960s, feminists did in the 1970s, AIDs and gay rights activists did in the 1980s, and a large group of activists did not get Obama elected. We have the talent, we have the brains, we have the energy, but we need to leaders (not elected officials) to get us riled up and organized.

[Mimosa]

4. I agree.

Can we ever get rid of Rupert Murdoch and Rush Limbaugh?

[Jennicut]

5. You need a billionaire to buy a cable station. Other then that....

[whathehell]

6. K & R . You are correct....Media Reform

is CRITICAL to maintaining any semblance of a democracy here.

Whatever it is -- a return to the Fairness Doctrine -- perhaps one heavily adjusted for the present times..I don't know, but it is
critical to holding onto this country.

[VioletLake]

7. First, we need to figure out who the "we" refers to.

Once we know who the "we" are, then we can agree on a narrative. Then, we can plan and do things.

[mrcheerful]

8. Well wing nuts still claim that Obama's took the entire state of Rhode Island with

him and he has 35 war ships protecting him at a cost of 200 million a day, some claim 200 billion but those are few as regular nit wits believe no one will believe 200 billion but 200 million is believable. With that kind of nit wittery the left can put out anything they want and the nit wits will still ignore it, come on the birthers are still believing their nonsense as well as the nit wits who believe JR kept them safe for 7 years, you can't fix stupid.

[CTyankee]

9. At one time during the 04 campaign I thought we needed a cadre of letter writers, bloggers, posters

to message boards, etc who would assiduously work to counteract the Right. I found that most liberals don't want to use "canned" responses and don't have time for such sustained activities. The Right seems not to have that problem.

Right now I keep emailing MSNBC political shows encouraging them to have more voices from the Left to give a better picture of what is going on. There are plenty that I can, and do, suggest. And when they are on, they are very impressive. Two of my favorites are Joan Walsh and Joe Conason. I wish Elizabeth Warren got on more shows but she's probably too busy. I'd like our new Senator to go on but he tends to be dry and modest, albeit a hard worker who produces results so I can't complain.

You could start doing what I do...

[hlthe2b]

10. Considering the number of DUers ready to sell KO and other

progressive commentators down the river, perhaps we should start there. Why we insist on "eating our own" against our own interests amazes me.

[DFLforever]

18. +!

[brewens]

11. Well, using the G.W.Bush aircraft carrier as his personal flagship

and suspending all flight operations, so he could setup a basketball court on the deck was not a wise move. What the hell was he thinking!

[veganlush]

12. Frustrating, isn't it?

We have to be like them in one respect: We have to say our message, the truth, as much as they say their lies. It won't be easy and many people won't want to do it, but we have to never say the name of this President without saying that his was the biggest tax CUT in history. (It was, look it up) If we say it to everyone relentlessly, it will eventually make it's why into the mainstream. Once the stupid teabaggers have this fact out there that they can't explain, they're gonna start wondering what else they've been fooled about, after all, they think they're Taxed
Enough
Already!

How many people know that this Administration and Congress have, in two years, created more private-sector jobs than Bush did in EIGHT years!? There are people here on DU that don't know this stuff, let alone out there in fantasy land. This is unacceptable. As the OP says, we've got to get the truth out there before more of their garbage takes hold.

[rgbecker]

13. We do indeed. A look at or listen to any right winger shows total misinformation.

The Right wing media is getting its lies repeated all over the net and on everybody's TV. Maybe Keith could use this opportunity to start his own show to counter Rush, Beck and the rest. 4 hours everyday just correcting Rush's crap would be a start.

[flamingdem]

14. REC nt

[veganlush]

15. I want to make a bumper sticker that

says something like; Hey Teabaggers, hey "Taxed Enough Already" why don't you "google" "Biggest Tax Cuts in American History" ?
Then ask yourself, what else do I not know!?

[polichick]

17. We need a professional branding team on the job. nt

[Nancy Waterman]

19. Some strategy ideas

1. Aggressively get out ahead of any story. Don't wait until the negative propaganda is out and then try and deunk (the infamous defensive crouch), e.g.:

Start talking now, with big fanfare, about the number of jobs Obama is creating on his trip before the Right comes out with some disdainful lies;

Speak out about one aspect of the new health care law at a time, as it comes into being, giving numbers of how many people benefit,

2. Create a meme, repeated endlessly, that the right-wing base has been victimized by the global corporate powers.They relate to feelings of victimization, so they can be made to understand who has really victimized by buying into right wing propaganda. The right wing base has been duped by appeals to anger and fear to elect people who will follow the agenda of the corporatists (deregulation and low taxes for the rich) at the expense of the rest of us (including the right wing base). If nothing else, this point needs to be driven home, again and again. Maybe a clearly written article on the subject, "Has the Right Wing Base Been duped", in a major magazine, with the author then making the rounds on TV.

3. Another meme to repeat: Republicans want to cut programs for the poor and middle class to pay for tax cuts for the rich and the global corporations.

[FrenchieCat]

20. Right Wing Media = All of Media......

They all pretty much suck and interfere with their propaganda.

You are correct, it ain't about WH messaging so much, as those
who massage the message to our detriment.

[Nancy Waterman]

21. So the essential questions are

How do we amplify our message and get it out earlier to preempt the negativity?

Obama needs some very charismatic and articulate person to hit all the right-wing and mainstream media outlets with a clear concise message and good repeatable soundbites. Anyone in Hollywood that could fit this role? Anyone who just lost a governorship? Someone very assertive but compelling?

[FrenchieCat]

27. Obama needs all of us.......as I don't think one person can do much....

and so the question is, Are we all truly there, willing and able?

[State the Obvious]

22. We should get more effective hosts.....like Christanne Amanpour!

She is a no-nonsense discussion leader. When Mike Pence TRIED to interrupt David Stockman, she turned to Pence and said, " Just a minute, I want to hear his answer." And then continued face-to-face with Stockman. Pence shut up. She knows how to ask the right questions AND listen for the complete answers. We need MORE of that!

(I had to laugh.....at one point all four men at the table were sitting up straight with their hands folded like the were in in 2nd grade :dunce: )

[The Backlash Cometh]

24. I already said it. 50 online websites.

One for each state where frustrated reporters and tiplines can reveal the crap that is going on in each state. Make it like a snopes.com where everyone can use it as a reference.

[treestar]

25. K&R

There's nothing wrong with the messaging. It's the Right Wing Media drowning it out.

[kentuck]

26. The Democrats and the President need to emphasize at every opportunity...

that it is about "jobs". Putting people back to work is our number one concern. Everything we do is working toward that goal. That is the basis for all our policies. Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!

[Nancy Waterman]

28. Obama in the NYT before he left for Asia

Getting out ahead of the right wing complaints and framing the reason for the trip.
I hope he keeps this up. This is a start:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/06/opinion/06obama.html?_r=2&ref=global