As the resident faculty at Blogistan Polytechnic Institute made their way to the hot tub faculty lounge for their weekly game where the underwear goes flying planning conference, they seemed upset about the furniture in the wine cellar library where they'd spent the weekend drinking thinking on our motto of Magis vinum, magis verum ("More wine, more truth").
Or at least that's what we thought at first, as they were muttering about massages. But they were also muttering about messages, so maybe it wasn't the furniture.
More below the fold....
First, as always, we thank last week's guest lecturers. Last Tuesday, Professor of Neuroholdemology Caractacus offered part one of his series on Dr. Drew Westen's The Political Brain. Last Wednesday, SusanL143 made her debut at the BPI lectern by Talkin' Turkey. And last Thursday, Pinecone made his BPI debut with a discussion of Patrick Lencioni's book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. If you missed any of these, please do read them.
Professor Caractacus' Things We Learned This Week series returns tomorrow with part two on Dr. Westen's book, focusing on examples of Vice President Gore's messaging in the 2000 debates. This Wednesday, Professor of Topofclassclownistics JanF returns to the BPI lectern to discuss the Obama administration's progress in getting the nuts and bolts of government - the often unnoticed functions that affect all of us every day - working again. As always, Chef will show up with coffee and bagels, and the Professor of Astrology Janitor will show down his cards from the staff poker game.
Note: While we have guest lecturers for the next two Wednesdays - January 27th and February 3rd - we don't yet have anyone scheduled beyond that. Also, note that JanF does not post "Top of the Morning" on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. If you would like to guest host Morning Feature on February 10th or a Wednesday following, and/or provide a "Top of the Morning" on a Tuesday or Wednesday, please volunteer in the Tuna Can, below.
That leaves us to sort out the resident faculty's mumblings on messages and massages. Upon further review, they may have referred to Marshall McLuhan's often misquoted line, "the medium is the massage." (E.g.: the Wikipedia entry misquotes it.) McLuhan theorized that different media massage us differently - eliciting different types and levels of responses - thereby making us more receptive to different messages.
The resident faculty will follow up on Saturday's discussion of whether Democratic senators' votes "follow the money." While votes on health care suggest our elected officials follow their constituents' opinions more often than we usually believe - at least on high-profile issues where there has been extensive public debate - that doesn't mean lobbying money is irrelevant. This week we'll discuss in more depth how lobbying money is spent to influence Fred, our archetypal median voter, and the very real challenges that public opinion lobbying poses for progressives.
Those wanting to read ahead can review online excerpts of Dr. Karen Johnson-Cartee's News Narratives and News Framing: Constructing Political Reality, and the University of Westminster seminar on the Herman-Chomsky Propaganda Model, twenty years after their landmark Manufacturing Consent.
For a quicker preview, consider this performance by British illusionist Derren Brown (embedding disabled). That's what we're up against. However, note that Brown makes a living as an entertainer by exposing these techniques. People like to learn how to "see behind the curtain," and that's how we progressives can talk to Fred about it.
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Happy Monday!