As we discussed in this post, there’s no point in arguing with right wing hard core believers; you won’t change their minds. But then, those aren’t the people who will decide an election. No, the people who will decide the outcome are those whose minds can be changed, and who are truly sick of the endless bickering and ineffectiveness of those who have been voted in.

But how do we get those folks to look at facts instead of the spin that seems to be unending? By using the same tactics the right has used for decades: Repetition.

The right has employed this masterfully. They come up with a message, and they pound that message every chance they get, until they get people believing it as fact. It can be complete fabrication, but repeated often enough, it becomes conventional wisdom. Think “weapons of mass destruction” in Iraq (there weren’t any), the “controversy” over the President’s birthplace, or the rate of taxation in the US (lowest in 60 years). All of these are messages put out by the right, and all of them have in common that the right’s spin was completely unsupported by facts. And yet they persist.

So, how to combat this? By using the same tactic – with one change. Repeat facts. Keep repeating the facts over and over. And don’t argue them. That’s a key element to what the right does. You can point out flaws in their message, demonstrate falsehoods using facts and they still won’t back down. They just repeat their message. They don’t debate it, they just restate it as unassailable fact.

Here’s what you can do:

• If you see us put out an #EFCpolfacts tweet, retweet it.
• If you know a fact that we should feature, leave a comment here.
• If you see the EFC post that introduces the #EFCpolfacts, spread the word.

But here’s the real tough part: Don’t debate it. Don’t discuss it. Just repeat it. If you think it’s bogus, let us know. But we’ll be posting facts that are verifiable. Just simple facts. Supported by data. Let people decide without shoving it down their throats. Just present it, over and over again.

Feel free to use them, to promote them. We will add links and tweet a new fact every day, and we will repeat them. We hope you will as well. And when you are challenged on them, simply repeat them. It’s the same tactic the right uses, with one exception – these actually are facts.

EFCpolfacts (updated 8/22/11):

1. The last President to preside over a budget surplus was Bill Clinton, Democrat. There has not been a Republican President that has presided over a surplus since Eisenhower in 1957.
2. S&P Specifically Names Republicans Unwillingness To Raise Revenues In Downgrade
3. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) has asked for – and received – billions in federal stimulus money, even after saying how bad they are for the country
4. Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) used billions of dollars in federal stimulus money to balance the Texas budget, as he claimed it was bad for the country.
5. Rick Perry Said He Would NOT Run For President
6. TX Under Rick Perry Has The Fourth Highest Poverty Rate Among States
7. Under Rick Perry, TX Has The Highest Percentage Of Minimum Wage Jobs
8. Under Rick Perry, TX Has The Highest Rate Of Adults Without High School Diplomas
9. Under Rick Perry, TX is 48th of 50 States In Employer-Based Health Insurance
10. Texas Under Rick Perry is #2 In Food Insecurity
11. Under Perry, Non-Elderly Women Have The Lowest Coverage By Health Insurance
12. Under Rick Perry, TX Ranks Last In Women Receiving Pre-Natal Care In 1st Trimester
13. Rick Perry’s TX Is Worst In Environmental Hazards In 5 Key Categories
14. Under Rick Perry, Workers Compensation Ranks Dead Last
15. TX Gov. Rick Perry’s 4800 Sq. Ft. Governor’s Mansion Costs Taxpayers $8,500 Every Month