Instead of blaming others, Horowitz suggests one look in the mirror. It's the politics, stupid. Politics is war conducted by other means. Politics is a war of position. In political wars the aggressor usually prevails.
Position is defined by fear and hope.
The weapons of politics are symbols that evoke fear and hope. Victory lies on the side of the people. We might further distill Horowitz' message down to two main principles, one applicable to the activist's relation to the people, the demos, and the other applicable to the activist's relation to political enemies. I'll discuss several of Horowitz' points within the framework of these two simplified principles. Distill and market your message in a way that resonates with the fears and hopes of the common people.