‘What we are witnessing should be an object lesson in how to win a political battle’

Read the whole thing…

Mark Koenig writes:

It isn’t done by adopting the polite, civilized pose of a debating society member.

It isn’t done by pleading for understanding and fairness and accepting your opponents’ false premises. 

It’s done with passion and energy and fearlessly framing issues with easily-understood and vivid imagery, as Sarah Palin did so brilliantly with her “death-panels” comment.

It’s true that the Republican Party has failed miserably to lead over the past eight years on domestic issues.  One of the primary reasons we find ourselves at this critical juncture on healthcare is that Republicans failed to advance any meaningful reforms during the time they were in power.  They dropped the ball and allowed the Democrats to frame the debate, as they have done countless times. 

We’re seeing, however, that American conservatives are no longer looking for “leaders” in the Republican Party or anywhere else to fight their battles for them.  They’re taking that fight to the street, and it’s SUCCEEDING beyond measure.

The time for polite and civil discourse has ended.

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Of course, this all sounds awfully familiar to Canadians who’ve been paying attention…