It is time for the Benghazi scandal to break through the barriers set by Old Media and the Left. YOUR efforts can and will make a difference on how effective that breakthrough can be. Here’s a primer on who to target and how to get the message out.
You can just be an observer and a chronicler, just watch and report on the story, comment about it, celebrate when things go well, complain when they don’t. You can watch for New Media to force this story to the top where it should be.
OR…you can seize the mantle of Matt Drudge and Andrew Breitbart and be part of the effort that makes it happen. Get this story into the minds of people who don’t pay attention to politics. Be part of the solution.
Realize that there are different groups of people out there, and save yourself some time, make your efforts more successful. Before you engage in conversation with someone, figure out what group they are in, so that your efforts are properly focused and targeted.
The Faithful: lefty zealots, truly believe that this is old news and that you are blowing things out of proportion. They are informed about the events, just have a completely different take than you do. You won’t change their minds, ever, but it can be worthwhile to read what they write – knowing your opponent is key to defeating them.
The Shock Troops: these are the random commenters, leftists yes, but neither well informed nor politically purpose driven. They’re basically trolls. They’ll dump some half-baked slogan on your threads. Their goal is self-amusement and your distraction. Deny them that second one. The only reason to respond to anything they say would be to correct an error or provide a quick link to additional information. But that is just for the benefit of OTHER people reading the thread. Engaging in conversation with these types is a complete waste of time. Gentle mocking or dismissiveness is usually fun. “Thank you for your perspective, have a blessed day”. And then…nothing.
The Supportives: these are your friends, with varying levels of knowledge of the issue. You can learn from them, share information and tactics with them. Reshare each other’s content – your circles are different from theirs, the story will reach different people. These are the folks you partner with to increase the reach of this story.
The Non-political: THESE folks are your target. They are your family, your wife, her friends, the other parents at your kids’ school, most of your co-workers. The people who follow you for your beer review posts or your flower pictures. The VAST majority of people you know. THESE are the folks you need to reach.
Why is it going to be possible to reach them? They’ve ignored this story for 2 years and don’t care about politics.
At this point, it’s beyond politics – it’s human decency, national security, and a cover-up of terrorism for personal political gain. You can get people’s attention with that.
The left seems to have settled on RIDICULE as their tactic of choice here. From the top down, we’re being ridiculed for caring about this.
Non-political folks may instinctively want to join in on the fun, we all like to make fun of crazy people, and making fun of those nutjobs who are obsessed with Benghazi is easy and fun…DUDE!!!!
But those who are just joining in the fun and haven’t thought much about it can be brought up short quite easily…
“I know it’s funny to joke about, but it WAS a successful terrorist attack on American soil. 4 people died, including our Ambassador, 10 were injured, it was a CIA group and they didn’t know this attack was being planned. That’s the kind of thing the White House SHOULD find very important, and they’re joking about it. Oh, and did you know we STILL don’t know where Obama was during the whole thing? He wasn’t in the situation room, and no one seems interested to find out where he was.”
- Your first step was to agree with their ability to see humor. You are AGREEING WITH THEM not opposing them, this puts you on the same side.
- Then you clarify / add to their store of knowledge about the event. You’re informing, sharing, helping.
- You empathize– express the same emotions they must be feeling – shock and surprise. It’s never really described as a successful terrorist attack on American soil, on the CIA.
Most folks don’t know enough about it to have looked at it that way. Rational Americans who are not interested in politics MAY be interested in a deadly terrorist attack on American soil, that the CIA didn’t predict, that NO ONE was allowed to go help, that was blamed on some video so you’d still love the Obama Administration.
It’s never been described this way, but you have the opportunity to do so.
This is FAR easier to explain that the Valerie Plame thing. FAR more directly important than the Monica Lewinsky perjury scandal.
Most people will be kind of irritated when they see the dismissive juvenile attitude of the top level folks on the left about this story. They just aren’t hearing about it.
So…the left has chosen mockery and derision of US for considering this story important. Fine. Great actually.
The highly inappropriate and insanely offensive nature of their current response is the PERFECT way to get your uninterested friends interested in this story.
Now is the moment…carpe diem.