STRATEGY - To control debate, start with your Elevator Speech.
PROBLEM - Most Progressives know what they believe, but cannot say it clearly and quickly.
SOLUTION - Build a sentence stating what Progressives believe. Memorize and repeat it.
ELEVATOR SPEECH - "We believe in prosperity and opportunity, strong communities, great schools, investing in our future, and leading the world by example."
Frameshop is open...
Up To Values
The power in the Elevator Speech lies in the way it brings our ideas up to the level of values.
The Republicans have convinced Americans that saying the word "values" is the same as having "values." That's not true. When stated by itself, "values" is a misleading word. It is a "magic word" intended to suggest that Democrats do not have values. Not having values, of course, is impossibly. Everyone has values.
Let's take a look at the elevator speech of the GOP, as reported by The American Prospect, to see how the Neo-Cons express their values:
Neo-Con Elevator Speech: "We believe in freedom and liberty, low taxes, less government, traditional values, and a strong defense."
The basic format of the elevator speech can be seen in this example. It starts with a clear statement of belief ("We believe in") followed by a statement of the two most prominent core values of the party, followed by four statements that express core values with a mix of issues and metaphor.
Here's the formula: We believe in [value] and [value], [expressed value], [expressed value], [expressed value], and [expressed value].
So what are the GOP core values? Freedom and liberty. Just about every movement believes in that. What they mean by it is not clear nor is it made clear in the elevator speech. "Freedom," means "markets without controls" for many Republicans, and "liberty" for Republicans typically means "nobody messing with our property."
The next expressed values are crystal clear: low taxes (money), less government (money), traditional values (we don't believe in equality) and strong defense (bullying the world).
To restate the GOP elevator speech in terms of it's meaning: "We believe in markets without controls and nobody messing with our property, money, money, we have no use for equality, but we believe in bullying the world.
That sounds about right.
Speaking in Progressive Values
Keep in mind that just because the GOP says that they believe in money, doesn't mean that Progressives dismiss money as a concern. Finances are a concern for all Americans and the Democratic party has their own ideas about them. We just express our thoughts about finances very differently.
The formula does not belong to the GOP. Elevator Speeches are actually an old sales technique. Good sales teams have them on hand at all times in case they find themselves with a new prospect and not enough time to really get out a full pitch.
In terms of selling our ideas in political debate, the elevator speech is a powerful tool because it brings us up to the highest possible level in the discussion: the level of values.
All political debate exists on three levels: Values (top), Issues (middle), Policy (bottom). Progressives love to talk on the bottom level because it sounds more "real" and concrete. Policy is where the facts are. You can put policy onto paper, graph them, hand them out to the room. Issues are the large headings that give rise to many policies. They are tougher to get out for Progressives. And Values--these are damn near impossible for Progressives to talk about.
Try to get a group of Progressive to write an Elevator Speech and the first thing you'll encounter is that they are all too long. Why? Too much policy.
When's the last time you heard a Progressive say something that began like this: "Americans believe..."? Not often. That's because making a clear statement about America or Americans is something that only happens at the level of values.
Get Some Values
Here's a list of Progressive values:
Empathy
Equality
Strength
Fairness
Fulfillment
Prosperity
Service
Trust
Open Communication
Responsibility
Protection
Opportunity
Freedom
Community
Cooperation
Honesty
Unity
These aren't the only ones, but they are good values. To start building our Elevator Speech, take a "We believe in" statement and then put two core values after it:
We believe in [prosperity] and [opportunity]
Next, let's we need to get three or four expressed value statements to back up these core beliefs. To build an expressed value is easy.
Try starting with another basic value, such as "protection." This is a very crucial Progressive value. Now, rather than just stating it, turn it into a metaphor: [protection] is [a community]. I love talking about protection in terms of a community for many reasons. It's about people, first of all, and not guns. The GOP believes in this metaphor [protection] is [threatening with weapons]. I look to Senator Clinton for this idea. Her catch phrase "It takes a village" is so powerful because it is an extension of the [protection] is [a community] metaphor. Another expression that follows logically is "strong communities," which I happen to like. It's short, quick and gets the point across.
Our Elevator Speech not sounds like this:
"We believe in [prosperity] and [opportunity], [strong communities]
.
Add three more expressed values and we get:
We believe in prosperity and opportunity, strong communities, healthy families and great schools, investing in our future and leading the world by example."
An Elevator Speech!
Is it perfect? No way. It could use tweaking. But it's there and it can be used the next time I find myself with a prospect.
Now Say It!
Here's something to try.
Take the elevator speech that I developed here and write it on a post-it note or copy it to your PDA. Try saying it twenty times over the next 24 hours.
Now, the next time you talk politics with anyone, start with the elevator speech.
Let's say you are on the phone and a friend says, "Did you catch the State of the Union Address? What an idiot we have for a President! I mean, does he really think people are going to jump in and destroy Social Security?! And what about the war? Isn't he the worst President you've ever seen?"
Don't answer the question! Is Bush the worst? I doubt it. He's working hard at being the worst, but he's not there yet and that's not our concern.
Every political discussion is an opportunity to define and unify the Progressive movement. So, before you say anything else, get out the Elevator Speech:
"We believe in prosperity and opportunity, strong communities, healthy families, great schools, investing in our future, and leading the world by example."
Then, pause.
Ahah! You've just brought a ton of clarity to the discussion. Chances are that your friend will redirect their thoughts to your statement. "That's a good way of putting it. Bush believes that having money gives you the right to have the opportunities, he turns communities against each other, has ignores the health of our citizens, attacks our teachers, steals money from our children's future, and endangers this country by launching unjust and unplanned wars."
Because it is a clear statement of values, the Elevator Speech cannot be ignored. It frames the discussion.
And the fact is, we don't really want to be talking about our feelings for George W. Bush. The great power of the Democratic party is that it brings many, many kinds of people together. In fact, there are plenty of people in the Democratic party whom any one of us will not like on a personal level. When Ted Kennedy talks, my teeth clench, kind of like I'm listening to a metal knife scrape against a plate. But that shouldn't matter! Kennedy and I share the same Progressive Elevators Speech. We both believe that the promise of America results from the deeply held values of "prosperity and opportunity for all."
What repels some of us from George W. Bush is his believe that the core values of America are "opportunity and property for the wealthy." It's his elevator speech. And when he says that he is a "compassionate conservative." We know that his "compassion" is only for those that believe in "money and property for the wealthy."
Does this mean we cannot have wealthy people in the Progressive party? Of course not. This is America! Some people dedicate their lives to pursuits that garner greater wealth than others. Wealthy, middle class, and struggling Americans can all unite behind a common belief in opportunity and prosperity for all.
Does this mean Progressives don't believe in owning property? Of course not. Home ownership is one of the great dreams of all Americans. Renters and owners can alll unite behind a common believe in opportunity and prosperity for all.
Does this mean that Progressives don't believe in a strong defense? Of course not. Strong defense is one of the cornerstones of a safe America and a safe world. But the safety of the American people begins with strong communities where children are safe, schools are not under ideological attack, retirement and disability are secure, and healthcare is available to all. And we cannot be safe if we lead the world by threatening it. We must instead lead the world by example, reaching out to allies instead of occupying them, leading discussion rather than ending it, extending a hand in peace rather than slapping our allies in the face.
When we move up to the level of values, our ideas will be clearer to us and to others, and our responses will be stronger and hit harder.
First build it.
Then use it.