In The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation, Dr. Drew Westen insists that Democrats should be passionate advocates of their principles:
According to Dr. Westen, the dispassionate view of the mind which has guided Democratic thinking for 40 years is deeply flawed. What decides elections are people’s emotional reactions, even if they don’t know it.
Karl Rove has understood this for years and has ruthlessly exploited it. Republicans have been masters of emotional manipulation, especially since 9/11. Democrats have not had a clue how to respond effectively.
The consequences have been brutal.
Republicans have relentlessly exploited the influence emotion has in politics. In formulating an effective response, Democrats have to use emotion-based communication too, but in a positive way. When Republicans incite fear in Americans, Democrats should express pride and confidence in them. Negative emotion-based politics can and should be countered by positive emotion-based politics.
In Patricia Cohen's New York Times article, Counseling Democrats to Go for the Gut, Dr. Westen emphasizes:
When it comes to swaying voters, triggering the right emotional network--that unconscious bundle of ideas, images, words, memories, feelings--is much more important and effective than appealing to reason.
Average Americans tend to react to emotion-based political discussion much more than they do to discussions infused with dry and boring policy details. And the more controversial the issue, the more receptive they've been to emotion-based Republican rhetoric and slogans. Many Americans will never admit it, who wants to admit they've been emotionally manipulated?
But as we know all too well, the emotion-based Republican mantra SUPPORT THE TROOPS has been agonizingly effective. So was OBSTRUCTIONIST during Bush's first term. Democrats do not need to resort to propaganda slogans, but they need to understand the power of emotion and use that power themselves.
Dr. Westen:
The decision to keep quiet when confronted with negative attacks or difficult and controversial subjects like race, abortion and gay rights is always a mistake. "Democrats run from every issue where there’s passion involved."
It's the worst thing Democrats could do, yet they keep doing it. Over and over and over again. On every issue, especially terrorism and Iraq. This has enabled Republicans to define these issues in emotional terms calculated to sanctify them and demonize Democrats.
Al Gore has described this Rovian rampage and its consequences in his book, The Assault on Reason:
Today, reason is under assault by forces using sophisticated techniques such as propaganda, psychology, and electronic mass media. Yet, democracy's advocates are beginning to use their own sophisticated techniques: the Internet, online organizing, blogs, and wikis.
Yes we are. In fact we are passionately blogging and organizing, but all the passionate action in our Party is on progressive blogs. Many Democrats in Congress are passionate too, but they suppress their passion.
They. Need. To. STOP. Doing. That.
Gore counsels a reasoned, focused response to this Republican assault on reason. He advocates basing our Democratic response on rational discourse, which he emphasizes is vital to our democracy in order to ensure a well-informed citizenry.
Gore's right. But so is Dr. Westen. Rational political discourse is necessary, but so is passion. Democrats always struggle to connect with voters because all too often, they bore them into dazed indifference with dry facts, statistics, and reasoned but tedious attempts to explain policy intricacies.
There are many reasons why so many Americans are uninformed about political issues. Many of the reasons for this are beyond the control of Democrats, but they CAN control how they communicate and interact with average Americans. They can start connecting with them on an emotional level, with passion and pride in themselves and the Democratic Party.
There have been several powerful ads run recently against Republicans that connected with viewers on an emotional level. Democrats have to take this same approach in personal appearances, and especially on television.
Passion, pride, and progressive principles are a powerful combination. But for far too long, all three have been missing when Democrats communicated with the public. Last year, progressive principles finally reappeared and were openly expressed. But there was very little passion displayed and even less pride. We need to see all three, starting in September when Congress reconvenes.
What can we do to make this happen?
Go Here. Or go to a bookstore, buy a copy of Dr. Weston's book, and send it to a Democrat in Congress. Send them a copy of Al Gore's book too. There's profound wisdom in both books. The $40 you spend may well be far more effective than contributing $40 by check or credit card, who knows what nonsense that money will be spent on?
Democrats in Washington need to be as passionate as we are.
Be passionate, Democrats. Be proud. Be tough. Come out swinging in September. You can kick things off on an inspiring note by kicking Gonzo's lying ass out of the Justice Department. IMPEACH HIM. Do it with pride in yourselves, pride in our Constitution, and pride in what America used to be and must become again.