The project will be an ongoing effort to provide a 'handbook' of political tactics being used -- and for use -- in the ongoing battle for political and ideological superiority.
As tutorials and analyses are created, they will be cataloged here for easy reference. A permanent link will be provided in the left column.
Be Bold
:: Tactics Still Under Construction
* Accuse Your Opponent of Being Desperate
* Accuse Your Opponent of Being Un-American
* Act Against Your Own Self-Interest
* Aim For the Stars, Compromise to the Moon
* Allow Others to Persuade Themselves
* Always Remain Cool
* Appeal to the Lowest Common Denominator
* Appeal to Your Audience's Deepest Fears
* Appear as Though You Are Not Trying to Persuade
* Appear Humble
* Appear Likeable
* Appear to Present Both Sides of the Issue
* Ask, "Are You Better Off Now?"
* Associate Your Opponent With Undesirable Individuals
* Associate Your Opponent With Unseemly Activity
* Attach Derogatory Labels to Your Opponent
* Attack Individuals, Not Institutions
* Be Aggressive
* Be Entertaining
* Be Informed
* Be Overly Dramatic
* Be Passionate
* Be Prepared
* Be Relentless
* Be Ruthless
* Be Thick Skinned
* Blame Conservatives First
* Blame the Media
* Break Down Your Opponent's Attack
* Build the Audience's Confidence
* Bury Your Opponent With Accusations
* Call Your Opponent on the Tricks He Uses
* Circulate Ideas as Rumors to Gauge Reaction
* Claim Support From the Masses
* Claim That Opponent Reaps What They Sow
* Claim That the World You Want Already Exists
* Claim That You Have Seen the Light
* Claim That Your Opponent is Doing What You Are Doing
* Claim That Your View is Simply "Common Sense"
* Claim That Your Words Were Taken Out of Context
* Claim to Be a Member of Your Audience
* Claim to be a Moderate
* Claim to Be the "Party of Freedom"
* Claim Total Nonpartisanship
* Communicate What "Everyone Knows"
* Consolidate Your Gains
* Contrast Your Message With a Similar But Inferior Product
* Control the Agenda
* Create a Pundit School
* Create Dissonance, Offer Resolution
* Create Granfalloons
* Create Investigative Organizations
* Create Irrelevant Associations to the Past
* Create Rumors
* Create the Perception That the Situation Has no Solution
* Create Vivid Images
* Define "Patriotism"
* Define the Situation
* Define Yourself as a Friend
* Dehumanize the Enemy
* Demand "Economic Patriotism"
* Demand Sources and Reasoning
* Deny, Deny, Deny
* Destroy Your Opponent's Ability to Fight
* Disallow Questioning of Your Message
* Discount Your Opponent's Opinions
* Discredit the Witness
* Distort the Intent and Effect of Your Opponent's Plan
* Distort Your Opponent's Positions
* Distract the Audience
* Distract With Technicalities
* Do Everything in the Name of National Security
* Don't Accept the Opposition's Argument
* Don't Appear Radical
* Don't Attack Those Who Are Undecided
* Downplay Your Opponent's Counterattack
* Establish Source Credibility
* Execute a Multi-Pronged Attack
* Expose Your Opponent's Ulterior Motive
* Express Outrage
* Feign Piousness
* Fluster Your Opponent
* Focus on Few Points
* Frame the Debate
* Gauge Lashback From Extreme Policy
* Get Surrogates to do Your Dirty Work
* Get the Information "Out There"
* Get Them Started Saying Yes
* Get To the Point
* Get Your Foot in the Door
* Groom Candidates Years in Advance
* Have a Position on Every Issue
* Have a Vision
* Help Them Discover the Hypocrite Within
* I Scratched Your Back, Now You Scratch Mine
* If it's Not Good, Call It Good Anyway
* Immunize Yourself Against Propaganda
* Imply Falsehoods Without Actually Saying Them
* Instill Guilt, Offer Resolution
* Institute "Plausible Deniability"
* Invoke The Constitution and the Founding Fathers
* Keep the Message Simple
* Kiss the Audience's Ass
* Know Your Audience
* Label All Adverse Rumors as Baseless
* Look Your Best Always
* Lure Them in Slowly
* Maintain a Consistent Message For Yourself
* Make an Issue Out of It
* Make Elections a Popularity Contest
* Make Issues Appear Black and White
* Make People Feel That They Are Part of Something Important
* Make Them Miss the Point
* Make Yourself Look Good While Hurting Your Opponent
* Master the Soundbite
* Never Appear Anti-American
* Never Appear to Take an Attack Seriously
* Never Discuss Thing For Which You Were Called to Task
* Never Let Your Opponent Win
* Never Remind Them of Your Faults
* Offer a Reason For Your Requests
* Personalize the Issues
* Play to the Audience's Knowledge Level
* Play to the Audience's Prejudices
* Position Your Opponent as Undesirable
* Praise the Audience While Belittling Your Opponent
* Present Personal Examples
* Present Testimony From Irrelevant Sources
* Print Accusation on Page 1, Retraction on Page D47
* Promote Rumor as Fact
* Quote Them Out of Context
* Recruit Wannabes From the Opposition
* Refer to Well-Placed Sources
* Relentlessly Repeat Your Message
* Rephrase Your Opponent's Position in the Most Unflattering Light
* Say it Works Even if it Doesn't
* Selectively Ignore Data
* Set the Bar Low
* Sidetrack the Debate With Irrelevant Facts
* Cite Support From the Opposition
* Speak on Behalf of Respected Entities
* Spin Poll Data
* Stay on Message No Matter What
* Steal Their Thunder
* Suffocate Undesirable Projects
* Sum it Up For the Audience
* Tag Opponent's Actions with Catchy Names
* Take a Middle-of-the-Road Stance
* Take the High Ground
* Tell a Story
* Treat Hearsay and Conjecture as Fact
* Trumpet Trivial Differences
* Undermine Unwanted Policy
* Use "Perhaps-Therefore" Reasoning
* Use "Terms of Confidence"
* Use Glittering Generalities
* Use Semantics to Draw Sympathy
* Use Sweeping Generalizations
* Use Vibrant Images, Slogans and Symbols
* Wag the Dog
* Walk the Walk
* Watch Out For the "Big Lie"
* Wrap Yourself in the Flag
Tactics
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