Taking the advice of fellow DKos members I decided to step away from the computer and went to a meetup last night and I had a couple of thoughts that occurred to me:
- Lakoff has good points but he doesn't have it quite right.
- The DFA has a lot of power but IMHO it is too personality driven to survive the Dean phenomena.
- Grass roots organizations sure are fun, but groupthink is as bad there as anywhere.
Want my weak-ass rationalizations? Read on.
1) Lakoff is right, words are powerful and 'framing' the debate is a good goal. But in debate some judo needs to be performed as well. For Example, Lakoff states the Republicans have a "Strict Father" association with the party and we Dems need to adopt a "Nurturing Parents" association. What he dances around is the fact that the opposite of 'strict father' is 'permissive mother', not 'nurturing parent'. Well, I would say that that is a position of weakness and in a fear mongered society a losing position. Instead why not have dems take the 'protective father' role as a counter. Again I think Lakoff has some good points, but he's not fighting fire with fire.
Anyhow here is the Lakoff worksheet from the DFA meeting...check it out.
- As an outsider it was amazing to watch the sheer idolatry of Dean. Everyone had their Dean buttons or scarf on like we were in the midst of a primary season. Now I think that Dean is a charismatic guy who has some great Ideas, but he is also a human being. Eventually he will find other interests or causes and the DFA will implode Like the reform party did in 2000.
- The energy that was brought to the table at the DFA was amazing seeing we're looking at W for another 4 miserable years. It definitely cheered me up in an otherwise bleak season ahead. But, despite Lakoff's pleas for unification, the DFA'ers would hear of no other candidate for DNC Chair except Dean. I was literally shouted down for throwing Rosenberg out as a possible alternative. Now I really don't get that worked up over DNC chair, but the single mindedness of Groupthink will be the undoing of the DFA. The inability to take on other points of view will make the DFA a permanent fringe group, like the Reform Party before it.
Will I still go and be the curmudgeon of the group? Hell yes! The DFA has the power to change America, as long as many voices from as many points of view as possible are heard.