- Joined
- Apr 22, 2019
- Messages
- 46,962
- Reaction score
- 22,884
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Progressive
JFK had to deal with many citizens like them, in various groups such as the John Birch Society. Here's one quote:
That's a great lesson in how to deal with these issues.
His first phrase, 'in the most critical periods in our nation's history', takes away the power the radicals get by claiming to be the ones sounding the alarm bell. JFK is sounding it, and showing he's addressing it.
The next phrase about those on the fringes marginalizes them. It frames them for people to view them not as the 'real Americans' they'd claim to be but "fringe". The added description of them as seeking to escape their own responsibility is devastating to them as well. They aren't Paul Reveres, they're boys crying wolf.
His 'man on a horse' - think of the picture of Putin - captures a lot, but it was a more specific dig. He had met with some powerful Republicans, one a newspaper (news used to come on paper) editor who insulted him to his face, saying he rode his daughter's tricycle, instead of being a man on a horse.
Note how he had to deal with the same 'Democrat welfare communist' garbage.
Note his having to deal with 'citizen militias', which he smoothly smears as 'guerillas'.
Finally, note both the references to 'make America greater', showing how permanent an appeal that has, before Reagan then used it, and trump copied from him, and how he makes his argument liberty, strong ground. Democrats have too often let Republicans falsely claim the word, while being against it.
A difference is, those groups were more 'grass roots' at the time, while now, they're more cultivated for supporting Republicans.
There were more interesting quotes from JFK on this, but they're not easy to quickly find. But some form of essentially crazy citizens is not a new thing. You can go back a bit further to the famous article in the 1950's titled, 'The Paranoid Style in American Politics'.
trump is the first president to openly pander to them, even if some other presidents had some alliance.
That's a great lesson in how to deal with these issues.
His first phrase, 'in the most critical periods in our nation's history', takes away the power the radicals get by claiming to be the ones sounding the alarm bell. JFK is sounding it, and showing he's addressing it.
The next phrase about those on the fringes marginalizes them. It frames them for people to view them not as the 'real Americans' they'd claim to be but "fringe". The added description of them as seeking to escape their own responsibility is devastating to them as well. They aren't Paul Reveres, they're boys crying wolf.
His 'man on a horse' - think of the picture of Putin - captures a lot, but it was a more specific dig. He had met with some powerful Republicans, one a newspaper (news used to come on paper) editor who insulted him to his face, saying he rode his daughter's tricycle, instead of being a man on a horse.
Note how he had to deal with the same 'Democrat welfare communist' garbage.
Note his having to deal with 'citizen militias', which he smoothly smears as 'guerillas'.
Finally, note both the references to 'make America greater', showing how permanent an appeal that has, before Reagan then used it, and trump copied from him, and how he makes his argument liberty, strong ground. Democrats have too often let Republicans falsely claim the word, while being against it.
A difference is, those groups were more 'grass roots' at the time, while now, they're more cultivated for supporting Republicans.
There were more interesting quotes from JFK on this, but they're not easy to quickly find. But some form of essentially crazy citizens is not a new thing. You can go back a bit further to the famous article in the 1950's titled, 'The Paranoid Style in American Politics'.
trump is the first president to openly pander to them, even if some other presidents had some alliance.
