I work in the healthcare field. This morning I was taking care of a much older and very religious gentleman who listens to Christian programming on the radio. I should state that he's great person and is not overtly political in any sense. He likes to listen to choir music. While listening, a newscast came on top of the hour. The topic was Ebola and the new screening procedures at JFK. The news caster said those wonderful code words, "I'm not saying it's something I necessarily agree with but..."
...perhaps, we should consider banning all flights from countries like Liberia, where passengers could be infected with Ebola. We should treat Ebola like a sin and every Christian knows the best way to avoid sin is to keep it out of your life." My patient nodded his head in agreement.
Let's set aside the logic that any passenger, such as Duncan, could have flown somewhere else before coming here. The amazing thing to me is that was a Republican idea just a short while ago and now it's on a non-profit site, being advertised. Most Republican messages these days are obviously astroturf, like the idea that the internet needs a speed lane. Others aren't as easily recognized, such as death panels. It's those that have a chance to become grass-roots for the Republican-minded. It got me thinking.
The reason so much of the conservative bullshit gets digested and regurgitated is because it's simple and easy to pass along. Even more so when there's an element of fear. I think it's well past time to fight fire with fire. So why don't WE come up with simple messages of our own and give it to the loudest speaker we have, the big dog, President Clinton. Here's a couple ideas (format: republican simple phrase - opposite democratic simple phrase):
Anti-Unions - "Pro Workers"
Anti-choice - Pro Quality of Life (making sure the public at need as what families need to raise a child)
Political Death Panels - Anti-Insurance Death Panel (
which actually existed)
Anti-pot - Pro Medicinal Choice, Medicinal Freedom
Pro Wall Street - Pro Consumer, Pro Shareholder (let's change what they currently mean with empowering the consumer with a living wage thereby allowing them to invest in the company)
Anti-Immigrant - Pro American Founding Principles, Pro Economy (It's better for the economy and it's better for families)
Anti-solar - ProSun, Pro Electrical Choice, Consumer Freedom (additional fees are anti-choice, fuck you, Walmart & ALEC)
My last thought is how to get better corporations - incentivize good behavior. Think of it as the box top philosophy on steriods. A company closes its factories overseas and stops outsourcing or reduces it dramatically, give them an "American Made" logo for their products and letterhead. A company goes 75% or more green for it fueling and powering needs, give them a "Greentrust" logo for their products. I would think billionaires like Gates and Buffett would be all over that. If we make our messages simple, we can fight fire with fire.