Barack Obama and Rules for Radicals

In Saul Alinski's "Rules for Radicals" he counsels that the first thing to do to an opponent after identifying them is to marginalize them. That is exactly what Mr. Obama is attempting to do with his charging members of the GOP's Congressional delegation portraying his policiess a "bolshevik" today.


President Barack Obama on Friday accused Republicans of portraying health care reform as a "Bolshevik plot" and telling their constituents that he’s "doing all kinds of crazy stuff that's going to destroy America." That is what Mr. Obama is doing, by making a ridiculous comment that he's being portrayed as a Bolshevik he is attempting to marginalize the GOP minority in Congress, and thus make passage of his agenda far easier.

No one has accused Mr. Obama of being a "Bolshevik". On the other hand, he is attempting to implement European style socialized programs in this country. That is something many people here just don't want. Case in point: the election of Scott Brown to the US Senate from Massachusetts. Mr. Brown's election according to polls was in answer to the nationalization of the American healtch care system. Voters chose him because he was specifically running against passage of the bills now pending in Congress.

But, Mr. Obama, if he can make his political opponents in Congress seem ridiculous, he can make their opposition to his policies seem ridiculous, regardless of how unpopular those policies are to the American people.  So, today's attack is the beginning of this administration's attempt to marginalize it's political opponents.  Mr. Obama and his supporters started this last summer when they branded those citizens who opposed the nationalization of health care as "tea baggers."  This is merely another step on the road to eliminating opposition to his policies.