YAL's opening tactic: "Fight Obamunism"?

[kjdaugirdas]

Young Americans for Liberty were distributing fliers with a hammer and sickle that said "Fight Obamunism" on Inauguration Day. Does anyone imagine that this is an effective political action? I sent this letter to Jeff Frazee.

Jeff:

I was a Ron Paul supporter and a leader of his organization at the University of Illinois in Champaign. I'm no longer in college, or directly involved, but as an observer of the newly created Young Americans for Liberty, I'm questioning the tone being set.

Distributing literature on inauguration day that says "Fight Obamunism"? I don't think people are very receptive to that. Especially on such an important day, when most people in this country are relieved that Bush is finally gone, and that we are turning a page... I think you are alienating yourselves. Sure, I understand the reasons why you argue that "Obama is not real change." However, I think that's an oversimplification. It smells of "Obama is not Ron Paul, and so I will acknowledge none of his positive attributes." I watched the inauguration, and there was a palpable feeling of change. On some of the major policy issues, we may still disagree with him; even so, there are classier and more productive ways of lobbying for our views.

"Fight Obamunism" is disrespectful; it's the kind of knee-jerk slogan I would expect from Fox News. Bush earned our disrespect through many years of hard work; but as an opening gesture to a brand new president, I think it's undeserving.

Sincerely,

[purplechoe]

I agree with what you said. "Fight Obamunism" sounds very childish. I don't think it would be a good way to have people on the other side to try and listen to your positions buy using that slogan.

[wizardwatson]

"Fight Obamunism" isn't even an attack against Obama and his ilk, it's an attack against those who believe in him. This strategy is counter-productive.

You can't win someone over by calling them morons in your opening statement.

[Xenophage]

Catchy, and stupid. Rush Limbaugh would like it. Rush Limbaugh is a douchehat.

[brandon]

Hmm...this strategy is definitely going to alienate democrats and other liberals, but perhaps it will draw in some of the more mainline conservatives and get them involved with the YAL.

I guess it depends on what the goal of the YAL is. If they are trying to build a coalition of young activists to influence the GOP then the strategy might have merit. If they are trying to educate the general public on economics they are way off base.

[gls]

Personally I'm glad they're coming out swinging and not giving Obama "a chance". Obama's recent voting record, appointments and statements tell all that one needs to know about the man. I'm happy I donated to YAL and will do so again.

[tangent4ronpaul]

Personally I like it! - Wish I could get it on a T...

speaking of which... Bumper stickers for 99 cents each:

http://www.discountbookdistributors.com/beginningofanerror.aspx

http://www.discountbookdistributors.com/images/products/detail/Error_Sticker.jpg

http://www.discountbookdistributors.com/images/products/detail/Comrade_Obama.jpg

http://www.discountbookdistributors.com/images/products/detail/Keep_My_Guns.jpg

For whatever reason this last one is $10 for 3...

http://www.discountbookdistributors.com/images/products/detail/O_No_The_President.jpg

-t

[kjdaugirdas]

I remember in the weeks prior to the election, the GOP jumped all over Obama's phrase about "Spreading the wealth around," and all of a sudden all these pundits were discussing the merits of "the redistribution of wealth" and saying that Obama wasn't so far from what Karl Marx said... as if Obama is saying something drastically different from their own policies.

I think Obama's in for a rude awakening when the house of cards does end up crashing down upon his head, and I think we should fight against his proposed "Rebuilding America" (or whatever it's called) stimulus package. Sounds like that would be a perfect first issue for YAL to tackle -- lobbying against more deficit spending and the expansion of the money supply. But "Obamunism?"

It makes those who are trying to portray themselves as "Young, RP Republicans" seem like a bunch of surly old men.

[mediahasyou]

I agree. There needs to be a more appealing way to attract newcomers.

Attacking Obama will immediately turn off all who voted for him. By doing so you are attacking the person. That's going to scare people.

YAL should campaign for more liberty on the campus and off of it. Students will better be able to relate to liberty issues on it. Once they can relate to liberty, it will be easier for them to relate to it off of it.

[constitutional]

I don't like "Fight Obamunism" since he is not the real problem -- he isn't the grand picture here. It's the system that we need to change.

[Rangeley]

Was "Fight Obamunism" a YAL-wide thing, or was it just a particular chapter? The protest at the University of Washington handed out about 1,000 flyers, but I am pretty sure they didn't say that. They were critical of Obama though, obviously.

[mediahasyou]

Was "Fight Obamunism" a YAL-wide thing, or was it just a particular chapter? The protest at the University of Washington handed out about 1,000 flyers, but I am pretty sure they didn't say that. They were critical of Obama though, obviously.

http://www.yaliberty.org/change/

[AJ Antimony]

Oh, I agree with you and have sent him an email too letting him know how Fox News-ish the organization sounds.

It makes the group look like a bunch of whiny, immature Bush supporters.

I mean fuck, the country just elected Obama, 70-80% of college students support him for reasons they don't know, and whether Jeff likes it or not, Obama has generated a billion times more enthusiasm than Ron Paul.

Blasting Obama, and not the system, is an awful plan and all it'll do is piss people off rather than recruit. My suggestion: local chapters should do what they see fit, and the national group should let them do the organizing.

[Conza88]

Oh, I agree with you and have sent him an email too letting him know how Fox News-ish the organization sounds.

It makes the group look like a bunch of whiny, immature Bush supporters.

I mean fuck, the country just elected Obama, 70-80% of college students support him for reasons they don't know, and whether Jeff likes it or not, Obama has generated a billion times more enthusiasm than Ron Paul.

Blasting Obama, and not the system, is an awful plan and all it'll do is piss people off rather than recruit. My suggestion: local chapters should do what they see fit, and the national group should let them do the organizing.

Obama generated fuck all enthusiasm. I'm sorry, but I'm sick of bullshit statements like that. Obama was a senator from 1997-2004.

You hear DICK from him? Ya'll didn't even know he existed. The MSM created Obama, just like they created every other fcken ass puppet out there.

Free 24hrs a day, 7 Days a week, 365 days a year - for two years propaganda on practically every channel in the US, including News Print..... kind of does that for ya. :rolleyes:

[liberteebell]

I don't like "Fight Obamunism" since he is not the real problem -- he isn't the grand picture here. It's the system that we need to change.

+2009

I'm sick of the false right-left paradigm. It's nothing more than a distraction.

The two "sides" are We the People vs. the government.

You'll get a whole lot farther with your efforts if you promote being for something than against someone. Especially if that someone is as popular (for whatever reason) as obama.

[dr. hfn]

we need to be more intelligent and charismatic, yet still creative

[LibertyEagle]

You'll get a whole lot farther with your efforts if you promote being for something than against someone. Especially if that someone is as popular (for whatever reason) as obama.

Yes. I am hearing that from all kinds of people. And it got me to thinkin'.... Obama was elected because he spoke positively and painted an extremely loose picture of where he wanted to go. People bought it. Reagan actually did the same thing, although he gave a few more specifics.

Bottom line, most people aren't like us. They don't want to know the specifics. They want to be told that everything is going to be all bright and shiny.

[blocks]

This strategy is counter-productive.

You can't win someone over by calling them morons in your opening statement.

+1776, exactly.

[ladyjade3]

Yes. I am hearing that from all kinds of people. And it got me to thinkin'.... Obama was elected because he spoke positively and painted an extremely loose picture of where he wanted to go. People bought it. Reagan actually did the same thing, although he gave a few more specifics.

Bottom line, most people aren't like us. They don't want to know the specifics. They want to be told that everything is going to be all bright and shiny.

That's a sneaky tactic, I think, but it works. Be likeable, and then be just vague enough that what you say means all things to all people. RP people need a little more convincing. We're slower to warm. That's why we need the voting record and why that went around so much. But once we're convinced, we're 110% committed. We're a rare breed, and we need to relate what we believe to other personality types... Remember that thread that shows that we are disproportionately INTPs or ENTPs or very close? I think that is significant, and something to think about when reaching out.

[LibertyEagle]

Yeah, I'm an INTJ and I have never seen so many clustered together, as apparently is the case with RP supporters.

[Conza88]

Getting mighty sick of this, so here goes. It's about time some people started to learn.

Left and Right: The Prospects for Liberty by Murray N. Rothbard (http://www.lewrockwell.com/rothbard/rothbard33.html)
A Letter to Liberals by Leo Tolstoy (http://www.lewrockwell.com/snyder/snyder14.html)
Do You Hate the State? by Murray N. Rothbardl (http://www.lewrockwell.com/rothbard/rothbard75.htm)
On the Impossibility of Limited Government and the Prospects for a Second American Revolution by Hoppe (http://mises.org/Controls/Media/MediaPlayer.aspx?Id=3558)
Strategy: Secession, Privatization, and the Prospects of Liberty by Hoppe (http://mises.org/multimedia/mp3/hoppe/10.mp3)
What Must Be Done by Hoppe (http://mises.org/MultiMedia/mp3/bankruptcy97/07_Bankruptcy_Hoppe.mp3)
How America Can Be Saved by Hoppe (http://mises.org/multimedia/mp3/Freedom96/07_Freedom_Hoppe.mp3)
A Strategy for Liberty by Rothbard (http://mises.org/multimedia/mp3/audiobooks/rothbard/foranewliberty/15.mp3)
Ethics of Liberty - by Murray Rothbard. 30. Toward a Theory of Strategy for Liberty (http://mises.org/multimedia/mp3/audiobooks/rothbard/EthicsofLiberty/5-30.mp3)

And introducing; “Rothbard’s Confidential Memorandum to the Volker Fund, ‘What Is To Be Done?’” by Murray N. Rothbard (http://www.libertarianpapers.org/articles/2009/lp-1-3.pdf)