Don't talk like a twit and you might win an election

(snip)
In the political arena we generally cannot convince people of anything they do not, in some sense, already believe. But we just might be able to convince people that what we say is really what they think already. To do this, we have to understand their system of belief, really get inside it. We need to speak in terms that sound familiar, and like what people hear in their own thoughts.

If people have reservations about affirmative action or gay curriculum in the schools, or if they oppose abortion, we can’t just assume that they are racists or homophobes or fanatics. If they like to hunt and keep guns, we can’t assume they are incipient felons—not if we want to talk with them about these issues. If instead we can get inside their moral universe, we just might find something we can speak to, especially when the topic turns to something else.

Progressives generally don’t do this much. Instead they try to bridge the gap through appeals to class and economic interest. Factory workers will forget their guns, Catholics will forget about abortion, because the Left is with them on trade or tax cuts for the rich. Sometimes that approach works. But culture can run deeper than money, especially for those who don’t have a lot of money. A majority of union members today give Bush a high rating. Irony of ironies, Democrats end up in the role of advocates of narrow self-interest (more tax cuts for us) while Republicans strike orchestral chords of enterprise and growth. The side that panders shamelessly to the very wealthy gets to claim the polemical high ground.

In his book Moral Politics, linguist George Lakoff contends that one way to understand the language of American politics is through archetypes of the family. The political Right embraces a strong-father family. It values authority, discipline, individual enterprise, and personal responsibility. The Left, by contrast, favors the nurturing mother: support, assistance, care, cohesion, and the like.

(snip)

http://www.yesmagazine.org/27government/rowe.htm

Thanks for posting it. It really dovetails well with a lot of the thinking that I've been doing since I stumbled upon DU... and that is, if what I see in here is any example of how this campaign is going to be conducted, we will lose big! If I was one of the candidates for the nomination I'd avoid having my campaign identified with DU in any way shape or form because to do otherwise would be the kiss of death.

The first thing to remember is that even among people who vote, the level of shear political passion expressed in DU isn't something they feel. They have more important things to worry about on a daily basis than politics. And yes, there are more important things in life than politics. Too much politcal passion is scary to most people, me included. Be honest...try to imagine a country where half the people were frepers and the other half DU'ers. What would it be like? I think it would be a lot like a deliteful place I had the chance to spend some time in with the UN back in 1993 - Bosnia!

I'll throw out some ball park numbers, they might not be 100% accurate, but they should be close enough for the purpose of illustration. Roughly 40% of the people who vote are very very likely to vote Republican. Roughly 40% are very very likely to vote Democratic. And it would take a lot to change anyones mind in either camp. So where does the focus need to be? On the 20% that aren't sure. And you're not likely to persuade someone who isn't sure by coming across like a lunatic! For example:

"Bush was behind the WTC diasaster". I don't care how many web sites you can link to in order to prove this. If you run around saying it you will alienate potential Democratic party voters.

"Bush is a war criminal" I don't care how sincerely convined you are of this, if you run around saying it you will alienate potential Democratic party voters.

"Ronald Reagan deserves to have alzheimers and I hope he burns in hell forever"...

"BFEE"...

"diebold"...

"I'll leave the country if we don't win"...

"Republicans are facists, worse than Hitler, out to kill your children"...

and so on...

Remember, some of the very people you should be trying to persuade to vote Democratic may have very well voted for Bush in the last election. They probably won't respond well to be told "everyone who voted for Bush is a stupid Nazi".

Now I understand that its the Democractic UNDERGROUND, but I can't believe we're all keeping this side of our believes to the DU and going forth into the world at large represent the Democratic party as a rational and superior alternative to the Republicans.

But I'm starting to rambling now...

I'll just close by saying a lot of what I see in DU makes me uncomfortable. If all I knew of the Democratic Party was what I've seen in my short time here, I'd be thinking twice about voting Democractic.

for what its worth

that DU is not the real world. I sure do... I live in Anytown, Montana. And honestly, a lot of the more lurid stuff is people blowing off steam in frustration regarding the direction that the Bush administration is taking America. It's *not* something you will find as an official part of any campaign. Also, people tend to type things into anonymous message boards that they wouldn't say when face-to-face with another human being.

Thanks for injecting a little reality into the discussion. I think the thing you said that resonated most was: "the level of sheer political passion expressed in DU isn't something they (the general public) feel. They have more important things to worry about on a daily basis than politics." This is going to be a big wake-up call for some people when the general election comes around. However, I do think anyone who gets involved in a campaign during the primaries is going to be passionate about politics on a certain level.

2004 will be an interesting year, at any rate...

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

there are many on DU who live their every waking moment for that next post. Many think that DU is the pulse of the nation.

I have learned a lot over the years I've been here. This is the first place I look for the latest news and opinions. But, DU in no way shape or form reflects the opinions of the rest of the country.

in a conservative district: he's tough. He's quiet and nurturing, but he never tries to talk out of both sides of his mouth. He lays it on the line, he doesn't ever give up, he doesn't ever back down, and he cannot be intimidated.

People know where they stand with him, and that he won't ever fold or betray them. That's true strength.