PrintAugust 27, 2009
Barack Obama doesn't care what you think
Don't believe me? Just pay attention to the next two weeks. The organization Barack Obama developed to get elected and still leads, Organizing for America, is attempting to hold pro-healthcare rallies throughout the country right before Congress reconvenes. Said another way, the president who swore to represent you is sending his promoters to tell you to support his agenda. Americans, Obama neither listens to you nor cares what you think.
I'm not too worried about the rally-goers. I've seen a pro-healthcare rally recently. It was at one of the town hall meetings. It consisted of five people. I talked with four of them. One had a story about having to pay a few thousand dollars more for a surgery than he thought he should have. One didn't think it was fair that her uneducated daughter should have to pay for insurance, because it was expensive and she didn't make much money. One was the teenage son of a local politician. One was a college student who did nothing but brag about "turning people in" to the White house (remember flag@whitehouse.gov?). I'm not concerned about these people, the believers in nationalized healthcare. I expect many of them believe in UFO abductions too.
What I am concerned about, and warning everyone about, is the media machine that uses these organized events to broadcast the agenda. Framed differently, these activities aren't meant to convince attendees that healthcare is good; these activities are meant to manufacture the news, spread propaganda tropes, and over-inflate the image of the pro-socialized healthcare forces. PR stunts. The Obama modus operandi is to make his goons look bigger than they are. These are the people who will make a group of twenty conservatives appear diminutive with a far-away camera angle, and then give individual interviews to all three liberal attendees. It's just like a real estate agent photographing a small house from the best angle. Organizing for America is an illusion. It is the Wizard of Oz.
The operating methods are predictable enough. Health Care for America Now is the other group involved, and they've enlisted union leaders to send their grunts along. You'll recognize Obama-style unionists when you see them; they are good at getting media attention; they're frequently loud, make for good angry mobs, and get bulk rates from Kinko's on the signs their illiterate members carry. I'm just grateful many unionists aren't this way, and oppose this bill, too.
And you will see them. The operation will be simple; bus in supporters, give speeches, tell lies, and do not give any opposition an opportunity to speak. It's Obama's election campaign all over again, brought to you by Obama's own campaign committee. America, we have seen this tired strategy over and over, and here it comes again. I wouldn't be surprised if Green Day put on a free concert to get a crowd so they could record all those people listening to the local senator for the 30 second pause. Again.
Don't believe me yet? Check the news every night. Tuesday night MSNBC did its part of the campaign (campain?) with an article entitled "Health care claim costs may rise 10.5 percent," added fuel to the fear-mongering fire. After restating the intro, the bulk of this article then says two things: (1) "expect to pay about 10.5 percent more in claims costs in the next year." and (2) Employees may have to carry these costs through higher premiums, lower pay increases, etc.
Contradictory arguments are mentioned casually near the end.
The Obama campaign machine is about to explode on to the scene again. Obama is sending his campaign comrades to tell you what to think. Look forward to many more pro-healthcare articles in the coming weeks. Look forward to massive media mania around Democrats' large and fabricated or small and sparsely attended rallies. And look for the media to ignore key events from the opposition, like the Cincinnati tea party on September 5th (by last count nearly 2000 Ohioans had RSVP's, I am told. And they don't even need a concert).
Entrench yourselves. The media will put in overtime these next few weeks telling us we're a minority again. Look for the words "fringe," "ultra-conservative," and their kin to resurface. Remember all that has changed in the last few weeks -- we are the majority, and we are the power base. Our weakness is our disorganization, and it is their strength, but we do outnumber them. Stay strong in our beliefs and stand up, wherever you can, in your respective home towns and rally against government-run healthcare. They will attack your fiercely in the coming weeks. Band together with friends, keep the conversation going. Be heard, be seen, be public. Public opposition is as American as the revolution itself, and it is what the radical left, like their socialist founders, fears. If we stand still and quiet they can push us over, but if we push back, they can not win.
Drew Brown is a consultant for a global consulting firm. He can be reached at his work in progress, wethepeople@foundedamerican.com.
