While it’s good to fight the power, the activists crashing Jeff Sessions’ confirmation hearing have showcased some sloppy and notably unprofessional protests. To win the second half of the Judiciary Committee hearing, the demonstrators need to review their Rules for Radicals.
Clearly the leaders have violated Saul Alinsky’s second rule. They’ve surpassed the experience of their people. Altogether, the protesters have great passion but poor organization. Here are a few quick tips to fix that.
Before dressing up like a Ku Klux Klansman or pink Statues of Liberty, protesters need to familiarize themselves with the person they’re protesting. Protest leaders shouldn’t be afraid to assign reading. Sometimes even a brief Wikipedia search will do wonders.
Skipping this easy step can cause embarrassing mistakes. When caught in the arms of Capitol Hill police and in the focus of C-SPAN cameras, everything was going great for one elderly dissenter until she started protesting the wrong senator. “Do not vote for Jim Sessions,” she shouted before being hauled out.
The only problem? His name is Jeff.
The only thing worse than forgetting who you’re protesting is mixing your message. The dissenters were all over the map with charges of racism and fascism and opposition to cannabis legalization. Again, that’s great passion, but it makes things difficult for reporters on deadline. Instead, pro protesters will stick with one central charge.
And finally, when risking arrest and national humiliation, the effective protester employs the correct tactics. Chanting and picketing work well in the correct context, like outside a political event. But interrupting a Senate hearing sort of makes one look like a sore loser who can’t handle the results of a democratic election.
These are pretty basic steps and bungling them can really ruin a protest. It’s not likely that any of today’s shrieking and wailing will keep Sessions from becoming the next attorney general (it certainly couldn’t keep Trump from becoming president).
Don’t worry, though. Everyone knows it’s harder to protest these days. It’s not the ’70s anymore, and liberal activists have gotten lazy during the Obama administration (though not for a lack of legitimate causes). And of course there will be more opportunities in the next four years.
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
