For decades, political debates have been played on the right wing’s terms, using words of their choosing to frame ideas to their liking. The result has been a lot of defensive left-wing explanations and a lot of right wing crowing about ‘owning the libs.’ They dominate the debate and coin the words that express key ideas. Too often, we play catch up, and catching-up is losing.
From now on we need to apply the lessons of game theory:
The only way to restore game equilibrium with a bad faith opponent is with a “tit for tat” strategy.
Our right wing opponents glory in their rhetorical bad faith. In 1990, Newt Gingrich created a “denigrate and attack playbook” which they have been tormenting liberal democracy with it ever since. We need to get out of the defensive crouch, and we do that by using the weapon of language more effectively.
Like the comedian demolishing a heckler we need to find our voices and humiliate these assassins of freedom. We must meet their insults and repay them with interest. Demand they explain their support for child rapist fatherhood. Ask what makes them so fascinated by what little kids do in school toilets. Insist they outline their plan to force full term pregnancy on on girls against their will.
Call them “forced birthers.” That’s a better term for the creepy fetus fetishists plaguing America today. We need to hang that term around their necks and follow it with some even harsher ones. Remember: game theory, tit for tat.
So from now on
They are not pro-life; they are forced birthers
They don’t protect babies; they force pregnancies on girls
They don’t value every human life; they abuse girls and women by treating them like incubators with legs and abuse them more them if they resist.
They don’t represent the ‘real’ America, they are religious fanatics who want to force us to live in their sick forced-birth fantasy of America.
They aren’t pro-gun, they’re pro-murder.
They aren’t Republicans. They’re The Putin Party.
So make them squirm. Play tit for tat hardball until good faith resumes. Our futures depend on it.