Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Since When Does A President Need "Rally Squads?"

I thought rally squads and committees were reserved for the cheering section of the local collegiate sports teams. This fits squarely in the category that we already knew they did this, but now we know for sure.

You could also place this in a category of either dirty political propaganda tricks, or another reason why the President thinks he's always right. It's because he doesn't expose himself to people who vehemently think he is wrong:
The manual offers advance staffers and volunteers who help set up presidential events guidelines for assembling crowds. Those invited into a VIP section on or near the stage, for instance, must be " extremely supportive of the Administration," it says. While the Secret Service screens audiences only for possible threats, the manual says, volunteers should examine people before they reach security checkpoints and look out for signs. Make sure to look for "folded cloth signs," it advises.

To counter any demonstrators who do get in, advance teams are told to create "rally squads" of volunteers with large hand-held signs, placards or banners with "favorable messages." Squads should be placed in strategic locations and "at least one squad should be 'roaming' throughout the perimeter of the event to look for potential problems," the manual says.

"These squads should be instructed always to look for demonstrators," it says. "The rally squad's task is to use their signs and banners as shields between the demonstrators and the main press platform. If the demonstrators are yelling, rally squads can begin and lead supportive chants to drown out the protesters(USA!, USA!, USA!). As a last resort, security should remove the demonstrators from the event site."
Now, there's nothing like a large, high volume dose of jingoistic slogan chanting to boost a president's ego, is there?

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