Capitalizing on the issues

This isn't a new phenomemon, but, it's always been a pet peeve of mine: namely, how we can't seem to capitalize on the issues, even when the public is clearly on our side.

http://www.usatoday.com//news/polls/tables/live/2005-01-10-poll.htm

That's a link to a USA Today poll which covers all the major issues. For instance, 56% disapprove of the situation in Iraq, 55% of America thinks that Social Security "private accounts" are a bad idea, 6% thinks that peace and internal security will be established in Iraq in the next year, and vast majorities are against the various forms of torture.

I've often criticized the DC Dems for being too timid, and, I have to admit, they've been increasingly aggressive, of late--but even so, given that Bush has any number of albatrosses around his neck, I think it's time for them to be pointed out even more strongly. I want to see a constant pounding on these issues. Yes, I know the corporate media will ignore it, but, if they're loud and consistent enough, it'll get coverage. And let's not rule out ad campaigns, either.

I know that the left-wing conspiracy/media machine is being developed even as we speak, I'm just impatient for it to start kicking in. This isn't about risky issues, this is about issues that we have an advantage on. Why aren't even the more conservative Dems speaking out on this?

•  They rule by confusion.

  They are able to confuse the issues with
  their right-wing rhetoric, their infomercials,
  and their willingness to deceive.  Less intelligent Americans don't know what to think.

  by linnie on Thu Jan 13, 2005 at 10:45:53 AM PDT

•  In a word: Fear.

  Democratic politicians have seen what's happened over the past 25 years as Republicans have learned how to control the message (and gain more and more control of the messenger).

  This has been achieved via demonization. Dems are all about killing babies, taking away guns, keeping taxes high, favoring "perversion," weakening defense, letting criminals get off easy, denying God, putting too many regulations on businesses, et cetera, ad nauseam. These well-watered distortions have taken deep root and brought about the changes in political control with which we're all too familiar.

  Democratic politicians have "learned" from the experience of their defeated peers not to speak up on controversial issues for fear of losing their jobs. So they try not to look too confrontational because the Republicans - who've won through confrontation over the past quarter century - have completely upended reality by twisting perception to persuade voters that it is the Democrats who have been the hostile, confrontational ones. Thus do we get the go-along, get-alongism so prevalent in the top echelon of the Democratic Party.

  Fear produces campaign wimpiness and GOP Lite policies. This political loopiness, of course, creates a vicious circle. Fear=wimpiness=apathetic supporters=lost elections.

  As Harry Truman noted: "When voters are given a choice between voting for a Republican, or a Democrat who acts like a Republican, they'll vote for the Republican every time." Well, mostly.

  You would think that more Democrats would eventually get the message.
   

  by Meteor Blades on Thu Jan 13, 2005 at 11:21:02 AM PDT

  •  Fear is everywhere in America

    Fear is endemic in America today. Sometimes I think Democratic politicians never got over the assassinations of 1968. If you speak up too loudly against corporate-military interests, they will kill you. Michael Moore's movies have really opened my eyes as to how fear generation is an industry, and how many companies profit from our fear.

    Lakoff told us at the last Oakland DFA Meetup that fear activates the conservative "strict father" model in everybody, not just conservatives. What counteracts fear? Courage. Cooperation. Empathy. We need more courage from our leaders, but more importantly, we need more courage from ourselves. How cowardly are we, if we let Bush voters intimidate us from putting a damn bumper sticker on our car? How cowardly are we if see the need for a union in our workplace but refuse to stick our necks out to form one? How cowardly are we if our employers work us 60 hours a week and we're afraid of asking to work only 40 hours?

    Courage begins at home. I don't think we can expect our leaders to be courageous if we won't be.
    

    A word after a word after a word is power. -- Margaret Atwood

    by tmo on Thu Jan 13, 2005 at 11:57:29 AM PDT