It’s finally come to this.
What we’re seeing here is the classic example of “if you can’t change their minds, then tug on their heartstrings. In other words, if you can’t state your case using facts or logic, then try using your audiences’ emotions or sense of morality to plead your case.
Usually, this consists of having a sobbing child tell his sad story about his dying mother (this tactic was used when the Dems were pushing “Obamacare”), or spotlighting some family that was affected by some “injustice”, like losing their homes to foreclosure (usually because they couldn’t afford the payments to begin with, but they leave that little detail out… just make sure you look sad and destitute for the cameras, ladies and gentlemen.)
Add bonus points if the “victims” are minorities.
Both parties are guilty of this tactic, but the liberals have turned it into an art form.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is using a slightly different tactic; instead of dragging out the crying kids, they’ve dragged out people that your kids love… Sesame Street characters, specifically the actors who play them.
The characters “Luis” (Emilio Delgado), “Gordon” (Roscoe Orman), “Bob” (Bob McGrath), “Alan” (Alan Muraoka) and “Gina” (Alison Bartlett O’Reilly) have been passing out petitions and speaking on Capitol Hill to assist unions and activist groups to appeal to the Senate to save public broadcasting by fully funding it.
To put it simply, they want the Senate to continue to fund them with taxpayer dollars. The actors are bemoaning the fact that due to lack of public funding (the House is seriously considering cutting public funding for public broadcasting), popular programs like “Sesame Street” will no longer be aired.
The problem with this is that to my knowledge, no one has ever mentioned putting “Sesame Street” on the chopping block. Note the wording as well… they said programs like Sesame Street, not Sesame Street in particular, but I doubt the general public will catch that. They see the words “lack of funding” , “Sesame Street will no longer be aired” and “characters plead for funds” and quit thinking at that point.
Then out come the well-meaning but gullible protesters.
It’s still too early to tell what exactly will come out of this, but I’m expecting a bigger push to “save” publically funded programming like “Sesame Street” coming from the Congress in the very near future.
At least it’s a more convincing argument than Harry Reid’s lamenting the possible loss of the “Cowboy Poetry Festival”.
Really, Harry? Really!?
Links:
Sesame Street Actors Plead for Funding : Associated Press, ABC News, 03/16/2011
