Florida, November 24, 2000, the General Election. Republican operatives brandishing "Sore Loserman" signs target canvassing boards and, most memorably, the Broward County courthouse in a brazen attempt to disrupt the recount by any means possible. Their methods---paid agitators, bused-in protestors masquerading as local citizenry, willful intimidation, disorderly conduct bordering on actual riot---are of a piece with current efforts to sandbag the national debate on health care reform.

The resurrection of this particularly ugly page from the Republican playbook has not gone unnoticed. Josh Marshall makes the connection in a recent post under the heading "And for the Blue Team?" in which he asks his readers for a sign, any sign, of an organized response. Where indeed are the Progressives? It's a valid question, one for which I hope a convincing answer emerges soon.

But as we join the fray we must remain especially vigilant, mindful not to allow the scorched-earth tactics of the opposition to reduce all attempts at rational discourse to a rancorous din. That is their aim. It's the trap they have set for us.

The higher the volume is turned up, the less inclusive the debate will become. The media will always fixate on the most intemperate voices. As the cacophony ratchets to a feverish crescendo, the very people whose support is most essential to forcing a satisfactory outcome will have all but tuned out.

It's a dilemma, to be sure, but by no means checkmate. Elements of a winning counter-strategy are already in place. By highlighting the truth about the opposition, exposing their outrageous conduct, and tracing it back to the real architects, we advance our cause. We must hold the talking heads of the traditional media relentlessly accountable to the facts. As the most recent Presidential election reminds us, when Republicans overreach, when they reflexively double down on the boldest of lies (remember the "Bridge to Nowhere?") the scales do fall from pundit's eyes. Not all of them, of course. But even a few reasonable voices can help turn the tide.

Democrats, alas, tend to hyperventilate at the first hint of adversity. We must remind ourselves sometimes that the American people are not stupid. They sense when they're being manipulated. But commitment to a principled stand, simple honesty and genuine conviction can still carry the day. We can win this battle if we find a way to fight it on its merits.

Let cooler heads prevail.

   ---s