I am camping. The iPad isn't the best keybard, and anyway, the smoky fire hurts my eyes. Notes will have to replace the essay.
Here's what's wrong with current liberal or progressive strategy toward the Tea Party.
1. Tea Party is not synonymous with Republican, is not synonymous with Conservative. These are three different worldviews that coincidentally fall on the right side of the political spectrum. Stop confusing them.
2. Rational arguments won't "work" on the TP because the corporate sponsors who take advantage of these people ae using emotional ploys. You cannot conquor the hindbrain with the forebrain.
3. Calling TP affiliates names, calling them delusional, idiots, insulting their leaders, is counterproductive. You are inviting them to paint you as elitist, snotty, uncaring assholes. You are putting the strawman on like it was your best suit. Stop doing that. They are fellow citizens who are being emotionally abused. If your best friend was dating an abuser, would you treat her that way?
4. Most people don't care about politics the way you do, But they know there's a nameless THEM out there. So when someone who speaks their language paints a picture of THEM, and you walk right into that stereotype, it's your own damn fault.
Nutshell: being mean spirited is counter productive, and reason won't conquor fear.
So how do you convince the Tea Party that what they are doing is wrong?
You don't.
Instead, you treat this as a business opportunity, which is what the corporate masters are doing. You treat it as a business opportunity, and you find that market's pain, the unfilled need, and you fill it.
what is the Tea Party demographic? Wrong question. Right question is, how many demos does tea party span? This is important information. somene should find it. The market profiles of TP members is the roadmap to their pain.
While waiting for that marketing information, I can reverse engineer by inspecting the solutions that the TP corporate masters are offering.
1. Leadership. Someone to follow. Role models.
2. Compassion. Empathy. Shared life experience. Shared world view.
3. Hope for, promise of, a return to a world that makes sense.
How do they sell their product?
- fear of the other
- fear of chaos
- nostalgia
- leaders that model their idealized lifestyle
How do you counter the TP Corporate Masters?
Find the Corporate Masters' weak spots and hit them. Find the crimes and prosecute. Keep them distracted.
How do you convert the TP members?
Strategy A. Be an evangelist. Out teaparty them. Play on same the fears, hopes, needs. Present leaders to model their idealized lifestyle. Concept: people must be made to do what you want, what you believe is best for them.
Strategy B. Be a missionary. Replace fear with love. Meet their Needs without asking aything in return. eg, keith.s health clinics. When the fears have been calmed, you can introduce yourself. Concept: people can be trusted to know what they want, when the field is even.