You Are Killing Your Prescription: Why Shouting Won't Help the Obamacare Debate

Congressman Lloydd Doggett recently called Libertarians “a mob.”  The Travis County Libertarian Party issued a press release asking him to apologize.  He did.  “If the Travis County Libertarian Party was in no way involved, only some of its members, we apologize,” said spokesperson Sarah Dohl.

Involved in what?  

The heated Obama-Care debate that has spread like wildfire nationwide began in Austin, Texas.  A confrontation between Doggett and the opposition sparked the flame.  An objective opinion of the various YouTube videos of the incident might suggest that there was rude and obnoxious behavior on the part of the opposition.  In my capacity as a leader in the Libertarian Party, I get lots of feedback on things like this.  Much of the email I received on the subject from people who were present say that they were well behaved.  I wasn’t there, so who do you believe?

Well, we now have these town halls filled with angry protesters who shout at their congress-critters, carry offensive and insulting signs, and paint swastikas at their offices. 

Nancy Pelosi recently referred to this behavior as “un-American.”  Arguably, violence and rudeness is American.  Those “patriots” who tossed tea into Boston Harbor and tarred and feathered tax collectors sparked the flame of our fight for independence.

I would love for the Libertarian Party to take credit for sparking the flame, and maybe we did.  Unlike Republicans, Libertarians have fought against growing government intrusion into health care (and everything else) since 1971.  Today most of the “blame” for this conflagration, as well as the Tea Party movement, goes to Republicans.  In fact the Libertarian Party sparked the Tea Party movement.

So how is the Libertarian Party involved in the Obama-Care wildfire?

Unlike many others, Libertarians do not need to be controlled from central command.  I do not need to instruct all of our members to go out and protest.  When Harry Reid says the opposition is “astroturf” (fake grassroots), he clearly doesn’t know how Libertarians behave.  Heck yes we are involved, but not because I command people to be involved.  If you have a town hall meeting promoting further intrusion of big government into our lives and wallets, expect Libertarians to show up and protest.

But Doggett was right ... I mean left, but correct.

Presumably the goal of a protestor is to persuade people to change their minds.  Exhibiting your lack of decorum and respect harms your objective.  I am serving my second term on city council and lead a board of directors for the Libertarian Party as well as several non-profit organizations.  If you can’t maintain order at our meeting I will throw you out, and the remaining people on the board will vote against you because you have marginalized yourself and your message.  If I were Lloyd Doggett, I also would have shouting people removed from town hall meetings and cancel them if this continued.

My message to you is that if you want to actually persuade people and be effective, your goal should be higher than having your rant show up on YouTube.  Your goal should be to sell a prescription to the health care problem.  Here are the prescriptions as I see them:

Prescription: Status quo
Side effects: Rising health care costs, difficulty getting insurance

Prescription: Government
Side effects: Rationing, soaring government debt and taxation, doctor and medical care shortages, economic malaise

Prescription: Liberty
Side effects: Prosperity, personal responsibility, direct contact with your doctor, lower health care costs, more supply

I know facts can be boring.  I know it is more likely to get into the media with outlandish behavior than by being reasonable.  I know that sometimes you need to shout to be heard.  I would just suggest that there are times where emotion needs to yield to reason if you want to win the battle.

If you want to sell your prescription, don’t join the “mob.”