Tag: unasked-for advice

I’m tempted to start all my posts with “Herewith, a brief primer…” now.

In the process of revisiting his ripping into Gerson/Wehner’s Commentary piece, RS McCain creates his ultimate editor’s rejection letter:

You thieving scoundrel:

We pay writers by the word. I’ve consulted our lawyers, who agree that your effort to get me to pay you for the sentence, “Herewith, a brief primer,” constitutes attempted petty larceny by the laws of this state and may also be prosecuted as a federal felony under the mail fraud statutes.

I’m cutting you a break this time, but if you ever again try to swindle me with a cheap scam like this, you’ll be buying yourself a one-way ticket to Leavenworth.

Please find another career for which you are suited, as journalism is clearly beyond your abilities.

Sincerely,

The Editor

Having read it all the way through… yup, the Commentary piece was as dull as dishwater. Roughly half of it was telling us things that we already knew, and the rest needed to be hacked down about 60%. So herewith, my brief primer:

Continue reading I’m tempted to start all my posts with “Herewith, a brief primer…” now.

How to ruin a professional agitation group’s day.

It’s actually not that hard.

  1. Figure out which professional agitation group typically runs faux-populist demonstrations in your area.
  2. Subscribe to their email list and/or website.
  3. DO NOT ENGAGE THEM IN CONVERSATION AND/OR DISCUSSION.  You merely want to keep up with what they’re doing.
  4. When they announce a protest, note the time and date.
  5. Contact your local, actual conservative grassroots group.
  6. On the day of the event, swamp them ten to one. (Via Instapundit)
  7. Nicely.
  8. Politely.
  9. Smile a lot.
  10. Bring cameras.  Because they’re going to violate 7, 8, & 9 themselves, and you want that recorded.

These groups use strategic camera shots, a largely disinterested local press looking for local color, and a general lack of counter-protesters to come across as more powerful and effectual than they actually are. Right now they can get away with getting twenty people out to a local event and calling it “grassroots activism.” Make it clear that they’re ridiculously outnumbered, and they’ll have to start spending more and more resources to accomplish their goals, such as they are.

Moe Lane

PS: None of this should stop people from having their own protests, of course. But counter-protests are much easier to put together… if you have the people to do it. We do. They don’t.

Crossposted to RedState.