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Sgt Sarcasm has written a diary which has been in the Community Spotlight for over 24 hours now. (Could easily be scrolled off by the time this diary posts>) The diary's focus is on progressive messaging and ‘framing,’ so naturally it was a diary which pulled my focus. My response diary is more a diary of questions than answers. So be it. :)
I have long been a fan of Dr. George Lakoff. In my opinion, political messaging offers greater opportunity for Democrats than any other political venture. He created the Rockridge Institute, a progressive think tank, to try to begin to counter the intellectual and linguistic advantage owned by Republicans with their political think tanks, that date back to the 1940’s! (With the American Enterprise Institute and the Hoover Institute.) And more recently (and more significantly!) with the Heritage Institute (1973). The Rockridge Institute closed in 2008 for lack of adequate funding.
Dave in Northridge has just started a new dKos group called Political Language and Messaging, inspired by diaries like Sgt Sarcasm’s and the recent writings of jillwklausen, for example.
The relatively unenthusiastic response to diaries and initiatives like these shine a spotlight, for me, on the weakest aspect of Democratic politics: the use of language to influence and guide public opinion and political campaigns. Sgt Sarcasm refers to it as ‘herding cats,’ a phrase long applied to Democratic politics. Where Republicans have long ‘bought in’ to the power of political messaging, Democrats have always resisted it, and I don’t know why.
I am on quite a few email lists, both from Democratic candidates and progressive political groups, and a stunningly high percentage of those mails, in tone, differ in no way from conservative appeals! They play on fears, they play on a sense of victimization and outrage, they freely appeal to a sense of Schadenfreude. In contrast, I think back to Obama’s 2008 campaign, which appealed to more noble standards, a sense of shared hope and moral purpose.
For me - and I realize I may belong to a tiny Democratic minority - campaigns like that are far more optimistic, far more motivating. I respond better to working FOR an inspiring cause than working against detrimental ones. Of course, supporting and voting for Democrats does STILL work against detrimental campaigns and causes, necessarily and happily so. But I always prefer progressive initiatives to regressive ones. I prefer selling our morality to trying to undermine theirs. (I am very confident in the superiority of ours to theirs! If properly contrasted, the superiority is perfectly clear.) I prefer acting to reacting, playing offense to defense. To me, regressive campaigning is reactive, not proactive, not confident about the superiority of our moral positions.
In contrast, I don’t like Republican style messaging and manipulation, I don’t CARE if those ‘work’ for them. And the main reason I think Democratic campaigns use Republican-style messaging is because many Democrats have decided to emulate their success rather than craft campaigns and fundraising initiatives more progressive in tone, characterized by clear articulation of progressive morality.
Here are my questions.
- If Democrats are so willing to emulate conservatives in tone and emotional appeal, why is there such enormous resistance to using intelligence and resources to counter conservatives by marketing our superior moral arguments? As Sgt Sarcasm refers to it, we 'fight fire with fire,' but only in very limited ways.
Republicans don’t have to be ‘sold’ on the power of framing, they don’t have to be cajoled into supporting their moral thinking, to investing in it, to employing it from top to bottom throughout their ranks.
- Why is it that Democrats will embrace fear, jealousy and outrage messaging, and yet tend to ignore or discount the value of moral argument framing to win back the hearts and minds of our people?
- Why adopt part of conservative marketing and not the ‘heart and soul’ of it?
- What kinds of marketing messages resonate best with you?
On to tonight’s comments! (Special thanks to brillig for the diary formatting and assembly assistance!)
brillig here: I believe I speak for the entire TC community when I say "it is so good to hear your voice." Ben stepped in on an evening when I had too many balls in the air and volunteered to take tonite's diary, so I could breathe, slow down, and prepare mine for tomorrow. That's just the kind of person he is :).
Brillig's ObDisclaimer: The decision to publish each nomination lies with the evening's Diarist and/or Comment Formatter. My evenings at the helm, I try reeeeallllyy hard to publish everything
without regard to content. I really do, even when I disagree personally with any given nomination. "TopCommentness" lies in the eyes of the nominator and of you, the reader - I leave the decision to you. I do
not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down.
From princesspat:
Today is We Love jotter Day, and Bill in Portland Maine's comment speaks to the fundamental truth.
Navajo tracked him down and brought him to the party.
Meteor Blades explains why the HIP diaries are so important.
and jotter's reply makes it perfectly clear why it is We Love jotter Day.
All the comments are Top Comment worthy. Thanks jotter!
From Chrislove:
In my diary about crackpot "historian" David Barton's latest claim that the Constitution quotes the Bible "verbatim," Gooserock wins teh internet with this comment. vacantlook's reply was also quite spot-on.
From brillig:
Hunter outdid himself re: Dubya. lgmcp had a comment we all need to hammer home.
From BeninSC:
If you like thoughtful, thought-provoking comments, be sure to read this one from hepshiba!
Top Mojo for yesterday, April 9th, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you
mik for the mojo magic!
1) sounds like maybe for a week by askyron — 208
2) They got one from me though ... by kbman — 148
3) Wherever consumers try to protect themselves by MinistryOfTruth — 143
4) ((((((((((((((((((Horace))))))))))))))))))))))))) by Chacounne — 116
5) ipsos - your insiders perspective by VClib — 110
6) I suggest you contact ACLU or similar group by blue aardvark — 106
7) RIP, Julie. And thank you, Horace by desertguy — 105
8) I've been telling wingers by Urizen — 96
9) Sad. by psilocynic — 94
10) maybe we should collect coupons for by entlord — 86
11) The Police State creepeth. by One Pissed Off Liberal — 84
12) sounds like a winner by entlord — 82
13) I know a young man who lives in Wichita, by Hanging Up My Tusks — 80
14) This is vintage Grothman. by Giles Goat Boy — 77
15) I wanted to comment before by Youffraita — 76
16) A very revealing quote. by Kimball Cross — 75
17) there is a reason that the President's message by sodalis — 74
18) Ohio - 2004 - Blackwell by Scioto — 73
19) I remember when Julie first showed up on dkos by roseeriter — 71
20) Clear evidence of what money and power by moose67 — 71
21) I think the first photos I noticed by cfk — 70
22) Oh No by Ray Radlein — 67
23) Apparently his pathetically shitty lawyers by darthstar — 66
24) It's really hard to believe she's gone. by lineatus — 65
25) Hmmm, what was I just reading by Steveningen — 65
26) I think you should ask Anthony Weiner by blue aardvark — 65
27) Sad Monday by Debbie in ME — 65
28) Time to recognize what Obama is really doing by Don midwest — 63
29) Julie and I bonded over guitar by Purple Priestess — 63
30) thank you by MoonWomyn — 63
Top Pictures for yesterday, April 9th. Click any image to be taken to the full comment. Thank you
jotter for the image magic!