A BuzzFlash Editorial Commentary

DECEMBER 30, 2001

More on That GOPAC Memo

UPDATE: Mr. Roff sent us the following e-mail after the following BuzzFlash alert went out:

The document to which you refer was created long before I arrived at Gopac and -- until now -- I do not believe I had ever seen a copy. It certainly was not part of the training materials provided by the group during my tenure as you suggest in your current commentary.

Please correct these latest errors of fact.

Peter Roff

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A BuzzFlash Editorial Commentary

December 30, 2001

Peter Roff and the GOPAC Memo

Many of our BuzzFlash readers have been following our commentaries on an commentary in the right wing Moonie-owned Washington Times by UPI (also owned by Rev. Moon) political analyst Peter Roff (see http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20011227-60253775.htm).

As we noted, Mr. Roff's qualifications as a journalist for the UPI include his stint as political director of Newt Gingrich's GOPAC. In many ways, Mr. Roff symbolizes how the political and media operations of the right wing have become interchangeable. That's why you have Ann Coulter as a "legal commentator" on CNN now.

But back to Mr. Roff. In his Washington Times commentary, Roff accuses BuzzFlash of "profanity laced vitriol." He then goes on to lacerate Democratic leaders for, Roff claims, "the subtle and not-so-subtle effort to portray the Republican leadership as the moral equivalents of the Taliban and Osama bin Laden." Is Roff's claim outrageous, manipulative and disingenuous? You bet.

Where did Roff learn his craft of portraying Democrats and progressives in terms that make them seem like traitors? Well, actually Roff taught other Republicans how to do just that!

Roff brags in one article that "As political director of Newt Gingrich's GOPAC, I was responsible for training more than 15,000 Republican candidates and activists over four years." (http://www.nonettax.net/oped_roff.htm) Roff claims that he tried to teach Newt Gingrich's foot soldiers that the GOP is a tolerant party. Well, that's his official line anyway.

Actually, Roff may have been teaching them how to demonize Democrats and marginalize them through the use of vile labels. (Roff, however, contends the memo and activity preceded his four-year tenure at GOPAC.)

We mentioned a GOPAC training memo in a recent alert. Now we would like to share part of that memo with you:

From portion of GOPAC training memo: "Language: A Key Mechanism of Control"

Contrasting Words

Often we search hard for words to define our opponents. Sometimes we are hesitant to use contrast. Remember that creating a difference helps you. These are powerful words that can create a clear and easily understood contrast. Apply these to the opponent, their record, proposals and their party.

abuse of power
anti- (issue): flag, family, child, jobs
betray
bizarre
bosses
bureaucracy
cheat
coercion
"compassion" is not enough
collapse(ing)
consequences
corrupt
corruption
criminal rights
crisis
cynicism
decaydeeper
destroy
destructive
devour
disgrace
endanger
excuses
failure (fail)
greed
hypocrisy
ideological
impose
incompetent
insecure
insensitive
intolerant
liberal
lie
limit(s)
machine
mandate(s)
obsolete
pathetic
patronage
permissive attitude
pessimistic
punish (poor ...)
radical
red tape
self-serving
selfish
sensationalists
shallow
shame
sick
spend(ing)
stagnation
status quo
steal
taxes
they/them
threaten
traitors
unionized
urgent
waste

(See http://web.utk.edu/~glenn/GopacMemo.html for the saintly, patriotic words applied to all Republicans)

So, Roff -- or his predecessor -- was the individual in charge of training Newt's Stepford followers on how to conduct a demonizing campaign of smear and innuendo against the "opponents."

Roff no doubt has learned well from his master's playbook, and continues to run the ball down the field, now getting paid for doing it as a "journalist."

A BUZZFLASH EDITORIAL COMMENTARY