Democrats wonder at the rock star impact of Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann. They are fact-challenged dunces. They spout near-nonsense at any problem where the complexity exceeds "2 + 2 = 4." They are polluted with simpleton ideology.
A mystery, if you listen to experts.
Turns out that this "something" is known Ad Biz technique -- they light up right-brain functions, similar to the runway lights at an airport. PET scan neurology confirmed left/right lobe differentiations decades ago.
No-logic propaganda is more than a gimmick. Psychological characteristics form up like this:
LEFT (Analytic) - RIGHT (Global)
1. Responds to logic -------- Responds to emotion.
2. Verbal ----------------------- Visual
3. Word meaning ------------- Tone of voice
4. Sequential ------------------ Random
5. Linear processing --------- Random processing
6. Plans ahead ---------------- Impulsive
7. Recalls names ------------- Recalls faces
8. Questions sourcing------- Follows by default
Overall, there are a couple dozen differentiations. Ad Biz shops make most of their money working these functions. Political applications add strong right-brain Gateway Triggers that facilitate complex message transfers.
Theoretical-to-practical with a new GOPer strategy and one GOPer vulnerability below the fold. :::
First, keep in mind that the GOPer focus on right-brain functions is a communication technique. We are not talking about a campaign strategy -- that goes to a disciplined check-list standard for daily operating procedures. But before they learned about "message discipline" and these right-brain communication tricks, GOPer strategy was primitive.
There is nothing primitive about what was done applying such as Natalie's Memes for the Scott Brown (MA) and Ron Johnson (WI) campaigns. There, the strategic campaign goals of the campaigns were defined around well-defined propaganda structures, all aimed to bend voter emotions.
Democrat's Worst Nightmare: New Tactics From Mass. This piece introduces Natalie's Memes for the general audience. The strategy is evaluated for potential effectiveness in Blue States where large-scale GOPer resources can be dumped in.
We are down two Senate seats to this strategy so far. Expect to see more of it in Blue States.
The GOPer candidates had done very little to earn votes. Natalie's Memes obviated these facts by emphasizing well-delineated right-brain appeals. The candidate, himself, only needs to keep breathing. Combining one communication process with two Informal Fallacies and a lot of money to ram it in can make all the difference.
The three strategic tricks are Whining, Ad Hominem and Special Pleading.
Natalie White, a pharmaceuticals representative by trade, developed this political novelty: a unique pattern for a combined attack:
1.) Whining. Future voters are encouraged in subtle, framed sessions to whine about the opposition. Encouraging their whining is the strategic task. Candidate remarks during these sessions present moderate positions.
2.) Ad hominem. The initial pay-off is that the candidate is to inject one memorable derogatory ad hominem detail. One detail is repeated for effect. This matches to GOP "message discipline." These future voters were especially receptive during whining sessions, given the nature of their own mental activity.
3.) Special Pleading. Candidate's role as listener/encourager is enhanced to do double-duty and communicate a variety of associations with traditional virtues. Repetition, again, embeds factoids that elevated personal image. The candidate is portrayed as intrinsically deserving of votes, apart from doing any real work.
The whole process of earning votes was put to sleep in Massachusetts and in Wisconsin. A professional smile -- a sales rep friendliness -- was translates to a negotiable asset.
Part of message discipline is that Democratic rivals are cast as aloof, uncaring, not connected, out of touch. The candidate is said to be a Prayer Warrior. The tune can be replayed by any antisocial madman running for office on the Republican line.
Exactly this Natalie's Memes structure was used in Wisconsin to defeat Russ Feingold. We also need to understand how GOPers use the right-brain oriented communication technique to leverage anti-abortion "Pro-Life" sentiments. That will appear down a few paragraphs.
First, let's return to the "mystery" to Democratic Party analysts how people such as Palin, Bachmann, Brown, and Johnson can reach in and connect to their voters' emotions.
Pattern recognition is the key. Familiar forms -- visual and tone-based cliches -- govern much of right-brain processing. Decisions based on these responses do not involve True-False logical analysis. Conclusions are reached by what is called "intuition." Too much detail gets in the way of these free-flow associations.
"Passion" is preferred to "cold logic."
"She's like us" is the highest praise. Saving people from the pains of horrible/math-class/forced left-brain processing -- a great service indeed.
Tone of voice keeps Palin and Bachmann afloat with their audiences. Johnson got by with minimum talent -- loudly to keep his audiences awake. The specific words these candidates speak do not matter. Impression is everything.
The Republican Party has collected right-brain dominant voters. We are investigating the extent to which these right-brain dominant people are also anti-abortion.
What is the correlation ?
To what extent is this the same group ?
Are right-brainers anti-abortion people, the way beer drinking males are football fans ?
Abortion as a political issue is worked the same way as candidate-encouraged whining. Right-brain neurological mechanisms are driven to support beliefs that are deeply held among the "Pro-Life" demographic.
This piece of salesmanship has become the principal mechanism that supports GOP survival as a national party. Statistically, single-issue anti-abortion voters are their largest fully loyal voter group.
They own one side of this one national life-and-death issue. A majority of their Base and from 30% to 50% of their consistent voters in national elections label themselves as single-issue anti-abortion ballots.
The GOPers' biggest vote getter:
He never says a word.
As noted above, Ad Biz techniques including subliminal Gateway Triggers invoke emotional right-brain "global" or "holistic" responses. Logic has nothing literally to do with these communication access keys. The messages that are transferred within the follow-on communication packets are accepted whole more than not, as simple truths.
Democrats, collectively and individually, get tagged as "baby killers." That expands to "liar," "delusional," "godless," and "irresponsible." There is no place inside the message presentation for targets to do left-brain reality testing. One example was a section from a Joel Ostean sermon that began with the anti-abortion trigger, then "floated" through several loosely connected items before "stinging" a nasty barb at Hillary Clinton. The audience ate it up, despite that most were working women or retirees.
Then variations of this anti-abortion trigger-and-message pattern are repeated steadily, month after month and year after year.
"POPULIST ANGER" became another such trigger. This was using in Massachusetts and Wisconsin to invoke the whining behavior among voters.
The Mass. sports-talk shows amplified the whining pattern. Both Brown and his ally, former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling hammered in the character slams. Schilling changed his message to fit exactly:
-- elitism and arrogance
-- feeling that the "Teddy" seat belongs to her
-- I guess they’re the ones that matter, huh?
-- "...I’m a Democrat, therefore Ted Kennedy’s seat just automatically belongs to me..."
-- doesn’t need to give her constituents the time of day
-- "...snide remarks..."
-- rubbing elbows with the Democrat establishment
-- go shake hands with voters
-- sneering insults about Fenway Park
Prayer Warrior connection ??? Look here:
-- teapartypatriots.ning.com/xn/detail/2978134:Group:24500?xg_source=activity
-- www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2431802/posts
-- www.newstin.com/tag/us/169135538
Of course, Scott Brown is as pretty as dime-store Jesus. The anti-abortion trigger was played over subtly thousands of times. Strategy and tactics -- a tough fight for issues-oriented people who are Ad Biz amateurs.
One thing: the GOP depends completely on the success of these ad pitches for its survival.
You do see the phrase "False Equivalence" over and over. But I've never seen anybody get to the physiology of "right-brain" and "left-brain" in the techniques of the arguments presented for this alleged equivalence.
Finally, it is a pure coincidence that right wing arguments are aimed mostly at right-brain thought processes. Anyway, it is a solid match. Not much of what they say during campaigns and in the Legislative Branch can survive reality-testing uses of logic.
I'm not sure that their pap can survive honest right-brain processing, either.