Sounding out themes...

by The Muse, Tue Oct 11, 2005 at 12:04:26 AM EST

One of the ways the Republicans kick our butt, like it or not, is by distilling campaigns into symbols and bumper stickers. We can sit here all night and talk about how much that sucks, but does anyone really doubt it's true?

Willey Horton
Flag Burning
Flip Flopping
Gay Marriage
Will take your guns
[We got] Family values...

You get the idea. So with this as a backdrop, I'm starting to delicately broach the issue with my fellow Dems (and Republicans if you care to vote for us).

I'm thinking that the country is suffering from "fear fatigue." I'd like to see us become the party of bravery and defiance. (Go ahead, throw stones at me for being shallow; but I reserve the right to say I told you so when we loose to the next "Morning in America" campaign).

I wrote of this on my blog today in a piece on which I'm getting a surprising amount of good feedback. It's called, You can't call it terror if you're not afraid of it. I'll give you a taste of the article below, but my questions are this:

  1. Are Americans seeing Bush as a fearmonger and might the GOP be vulnerable on this front generally?

  2. Could we potentially channel FDR (nothing to fear but fear itself) to shed the "wimpy party" label?

  3. If you agree, have any suggestions, (e.g. Caring, Committed, Couragous--Vote Democrat).

Okay, so my example was lame--but that's why I'm asking...

From:  You can't call it terror if you're not afraid of it.

All the latest commotion was conveniently foreshadowed by the President a day earlier in a "major speech" on terror. It was a real stemwinder. I have the Cliff notes.

Bush said: "9-11...terror...assaulted by enemies...great evil...covered in smoke and ashes...fire across the Potomac...new terror offensive...kill children and the elderly...mortal danger to all humanity...like a parasite...as brutal an enemy as we've ever faced." It's the same pep talk he gives every time his polls plummet.

Doesn't it seem odd that a President who conducts foreign policy like he's trying to get in touch with his inner-cowboy would be so intent on turning his own country into a herd of spooked sheep?

But with Karl Rove curled up into a fetal ball awaiting the word of a certain grand jury, and the rest of the team either fending off the FBI or dusting off their curricula vitae, Bush is kind of on his own. So he's playing the hole card, the only thing that's ever worked for him. Be very, very afraid...

...FDR led us out of a depression, conquered the hideous evil of Nazism and inspired our "greatest generation," even as he receded into a wheelchair. I would like to suggest that Bush channel FDR's "nothing to fear but fear" message, but the sad reality is that he couldn't shine Roosevelt's shoes. Bush's cache is cooked. He can't even channel the 9-11 Bush anymore.



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Human rights, civil liberties and social justice (none / 0)

Muse:

You are absolutely right about the GOP use of not only semantics but also semiotics to control the lexicon of the debate. The oldest and still most used is the law and order fear-mongering backed up with the constitutionally subversive family values. for years I have been working to counter the myriad mass media programming that they perfected with the drug war. Their 'zero tolerance' is my absolute intolerance.

Lately, as an Independent, I have been looking at the GOP vs. DNC rhetoric gap. The Dem.'s have been pathetic for my whole life. 'Family values' subverted the entire Democratic platform while family values have NOTHING to do with constitutional values. So, I have very effectively been countering family values with the old time Democratic Party and constitutional values of human rights, civil liberties and social justice. These, I believe, are the core values that the Democrats held to in the early 1970's that have caused the GOP to come up with their counter argument of family values. The difference is that family values have no constitutional context while human rights, civil liberties and social justice are all natural outcomes of respect for the rule of law that underpins the constitution itself.

In online arguments with right wingers the human rights, civil liberties and social justice argument has been very effective. All that they can do is change the subject. They simply will not engage these terms because to do so shows them to be inhumane anti social racists.

The big problem with this argument is that the right wing of the Democrats do not themselves adhere to these values and so they distort the and weaken message to maintain their own credibility. Democrats need to confront themselves first on whether or not they will return to their own core constitutional values. Then they can successfully use these core Democratic constitutional values to great advantage for rallying the forces of good in America.

by aahpat on Tue Oct 11, 2005 at 12:50:24 AM EST

Re: Human rights, civil liberties and social justi (none / 0)

Frankly, I am no longer looking for a candidate who will take advice from me. I don't want someone who just tells me what I want to hear. I want someone who tells me what she or he really believes, and lets me decide if I can go along with it.

The worst strategy is to listen to the strategists. Let the candidate run the show.

Promote the singular issue that the American people can either follow the image pushing pied pipers and starve in the dark, or they can tell the pipers to stick their pipes where the sun don't shine, and get back to the crucial task fixing the nation. Be entertained with Disneyland illusions until you roast in the flaming tent, or kick the clowns asses into the ditch, and begin the long march back to your rightful sustainable village.

Exhort them to follow the real leader who's not afraid of that steep climb up to the true high road.

by blues on Tue Oct 11, 2005 at 03:26:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Human rights, civil liberties and social justi (none / 0)

That's a lot of words to say very little.
by aahpat on Tue Oct 11, 2005 at 10:04:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Human rights, civil liberties and social justi (none / 0)

If you don't like it, don't read it.
by blues on Tue Oct 11, 2005 at 02:13:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

what we really need to hit (none / 0)

Is that, four years after 9/11:

  • our emergency response sucks
  • we don't know where bin Laden is
  • Al Qaeda is arguably stronger than they were
  • the people who are supposed to be protecting us are unqualified cronies

In short, Bush has completely fucked up.  But don't stop there; we need to give concrete ideas:

  • more money for first responders - cops, firefighters, EMTs
  • bring the National Guard home to do their jobs here
  • resolve Iraq ASAP and focus our energies on Al Qaeda at long last
  • reduce dependence on foreign oil so we're not beholden to terror-supporting countries like Saudi Arabia

"It's not enough to say you'll be ready from Day One - you have to be right from Day One."
by schroeder on Tue Oct 11, 2005 at 02:24:54 PM EST

1,488 (none / 0)

days since bin Laden attacked America on George W. Bush's watch  and still the GOP and Bush administration have not stopped him.

When will America suffer a rail line attack like our allies have suffered?

1,488 days of failure to protect America by Bush and the GOP.

1,488 days of Bush and the GOP's failure to stop bin Laden.

by aahpat on Tue Oct 11, 2005 at 04:27:22 PM EST


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