Tips for Effective C-SPAN Calls

* Be Yourself, But Polite. Ralph Waldo Emerson observed: “I can’t hear what you say, for who you are is shouting at me.” Be congenial and respectful -- even to abusive guests. Project likeability and viewers will identify with you. And you will more likely persuade them.

* Do Your Homework. Visit C-SPAN’s website. Click the Washington Journal link to learn the names and affiliations of future guests. Then research and tailor your question or comment for them.

* Script Your Question. Write your comment or question, then revise for clarity. Thus, your words will be concise, clear, and well-informed.

* Respect C-SPAN’s Rules. Their most important one: Don’t call more often than once every 30 days.

* Humor Can Be Effective. Here are three examples:

In late 2003, the day after the LP elected Geoffrey Neale as its National Chair, I spoke with him on Washington Journal. After congratulating him, I suggested that Libertarians be more generous to the major parties. I noted that we Libertarians enjoy a symbol, Lady Liberty, that fits our political philosophy.

“I feel sorry for the poor Democrats and Republicans," I said. "Now a days, no one can remember what the elephant and donkey stand for. So I suggest that they adopt a new symbol -- one that comports well with their philosophy and their attendant demand for half of the people’s income. I suggest the carnivorous worm, the leech.”

Neale laughed at that.

Several months later, I called Washington Journal's guest, LP Presidential hopeful Gary Nolan, to apologize for my previous call.

“My odious comparison of major party politicians with leeches disturbed me," I said. "I must set the record straight. ... I am profoundly apologetic to leeches everywhere. No leech takes half. I have unfairly smeared them. I just hope I can live with myself.”

A few years ago, I called then Rep. Ben Cardin (D-MD) on Washington Journal. I explained that many conservatives regard him a socialist, but that I could refute that charge, to the satisfaction of every conservative.

The congressman seemed interested.

I continued: “First, Congressman, concede that your political philosophy was driven by the principle that government must ‘take from each according to his means and give to each, according to his need’, a key principle of the Communist Manifesto. But then point out -- and this is where you’ve got them! -- that all of your redistribution schemes occur within /national/ boundaries. So, you’re not a socialist. You’re a national socialist!”

The congressman laughed, enjoying his only spontaneous moment that morning. He quickly recovered, and returned to canned talking points.

In 2004 Mike Binkley was one of 25 winners in a C-SPAN essay contest. He's a longtime LP activist, most recently serving two years as Chair of the Los Angeles County LP. He now resides in Orange County.
His email: MrMikeBinkley@aol.com.

ADDENDUM from Mike Binkley:

Here's the info needed to access my latest C-Span call:

On March 31, 2008, I called C-Span's Washington Journal to question Gail Russell Chaddock, Congressional Correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor, and David Hawkings, Managing Editor of CQ Weekly. I discussed the fiscal irresponsibility of both major parties and the press's sycophantic role. My question starts about 1 hour and 14 minutes into this 3-hour program.

I've also appended a transcript below. You'll note that neither reporter answered my question. (I will follow up with an email to them, requesting a more responsive answer.)

Steps:

1. Click this link to access C-Span's Washington Journal webpage.

2. Click the Washington Journal Entire Program (03/31/2008) link under Recent Programs. If this link is not visible, click All Recent Programs to view links to earlier programs.

The RealPlayer window should appear. The 3-hour program begins. The show's music starts.

3. Position the button at the bottom of the RealPlayer window so that the program resumes 1:13:20 into this 3-hour program.

The RealPlayer window will show a few seconds of David Hawkings’ commentary, then my question and the reporters’ responses.

Question: … In the first six years of the Bush Administration, federal spending grew at an inflation- adjusted 23%, which of course is a patently unsustainable rate of growth. Unfortunately, this truth is hostage to, in my view, three thoroughly corrupt institutions: the Democratic Party, the Republican Party and a sycophantic press. Republican politicians refuse to confess their fiscal irresponsibility. The Democratic politicians want to increase the spending. And the press has granted the major parties monopoly in framing political debate in America.

In my view the role of the Federal Reserve is to monetize this fiscal irresponsibility. That is, the Fed prints more and more dollars, which are increasingly cheap. Individual Americans understand that holding dollars – that is, saving – is a patently irrational, self-defeating behavior. It makes more sense to borrow as much money as possible and, like the federal government, pay it off in cheaper dollars. These facts lie at the root of the housing bubble, the housing bust, declining dollar and the subprime crisis.

How do Americans, who see that this fiscal time bomb ticking away, hold these politicians accountable – especially in the face of reelection rates of House members that ape the Soviet Union's Politburo?

Copyright 2007 - 2008 by Mike Binkley