I’ve written a number of times about the advice to Democrats — from Berkeley linguist George Lakoff among others — to spend less effort developing new, popular positions and more time and effort “framing” the ones they have more effectively. Now, according to an unintentionally hilarious article on page AI of yesterday’s Los Angeles Times, that argument has been replaced by a new one, based on the work of Emory University psychologist Drew Westen, that is so extreme it almost makes Lakoff’s “framing” seem mild and even reasonable. Almost.
In his new book, “The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation,” Westen, who is not affiliated with a particular candidate, lays out his argument that Democrats must connect emotionally with the American electorate — and that he can teach them how.
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Westen writes that it doesn’t make sense to argue an issue using facts and figures and to count on voters — particularly the swing voters who decide national elections — to make choices based on sophisticated understandings of policy differences or procedures. He says Democratic candidates must learn to do what Republicans have understood for many years — they must appeal to emotions….
The libs, being emotional, are all gaga over this new hearts over minds approach to a stupid, gullible electorate.
This is the best thing I have read in 30 years,” said Robert Kuttner, co-editor of the liberal American Prospect magazine, and the man most responsible for Westen’s rise. “This is the book that should have been written a long time ago on why Democrats blow winnable elections. Even when public opinion is on their side, they don’t know how to optimize that.”
Kuttner learned of Westen last year from mutual friends while Westen was still working on his manuscript. Westen sent Kuttner a few chapters, and the magazine editor flipped. “I told him, ‘Fasten your seat belt; you’re going to be a rock star,’ “ Kuttner said….
Kuttner organized gatherings — in Washington, New York, Los Angeles and Berkeley — to introduce Westen to influential Democrats. The first took place in September in Washington.
Meanwhile, Prof. Lakoff seems a bit peeved at suggestions that he’s been displaced by a new liberal “rock star” who’s approach is even more mindless and less issue-oriented than his own.
Lakoff, who has read Westen’s book, thinks there is overlap in their messages. He rejects the idea that he has somehow fallen out of favor among progressives. “I have had an incredible effect which you see every day. I made people aware of framing and that you shouldn’t use the other guy’s frame,” he said.
It should no longer come as a surprise, I guess, that liberals swoon over theories that disdain the ability of voters to choose intelligently among various substantive policy choices. After all, didn’t those voters foolishly decide, despite abundant liberal advice to them, to toss out racial preferences every time they’ve been given a chance and a choice to do so?
For once I find myself agreeing with famous Democratic consultant Robert Shrum:
“I tend to be skeptical of people who think the future of the Democratic Party resides in retooling its language,” Shrum said.
liberals are desperately trying to rationalize why they don’t get more votes than they do. They promise the earth to people, perfect everything and everything for free and can’t understand why people would turn that down. It seems so simple, take stuff away from those that have and give it to those that don’t, who could refuse that, given that most people don’t have. But americans, at least so far don’t see themselves that way. Most people see they will be among those from whom something is taken. There are not enough rich people to be robbed and the rich, which includes many liberals, won’t be robbed anyway. It will be the middle class. In any case most americans don’t agree with the idea that the rich are bad. We don’t mind people being rich. If we did, we would go burn down the clinton’s mansion in chatauqua, ny. There is only two of them, why do they “need” a house like that. Liberals are trying to teach us to think like that. The day we learn the lesson, the day that not just black people, but all americans, walk around, resenting anyone with more than they have, and planning to rob them, the day we all feel like victims, the day we are all filled with burning anger because we don’t have everything in the world, that is the day democracy is finished. Societies full of envy cannot be democracies. They need a police state to have any law and order because no one things the law should apply to them – because they are victims. Many cultures operate like that and always have.