Bring on the Culture War
ILLUSTRATED: Take issues that are purely social issues seriously, and discuss them seriously.
Susan Neiman wrote on the Huffington Post about how to win the Culture Wars. Now I know what you're thinking, as I have written here before, all economic policies are indeed values based. But there are some issues that may or may not involve government that are really all about values. And remember, voters vote for the candidate/party that best reflects their value system. That's the root of identity politics, or pandering politics.
My annotation of Neiman's piece:
1. Take "values issues" and "the culture war" seriously for its own sake. Neiman points out that conservatives talk about goodness and working toward such a society. Given the GOP platform those are empty promises, but at least on the campaign trail, voters can fill in the emptiness. Democrats need to talk about why are policies are "good and moral", not just "smart".
2. Don't be afraid to be corny talking about values. My definition of corniness is being honest about your feelings without any pretense. While framing, and metphors, and narratives, are important, Neiman says that non-verbally showing conviction is the best way to communicate to voters what you are about. While a lot of Americans are fooled by the GOP's slick communications apparatus, it doesn't take intellectual sophistication to spot a phony.
3. Use their metaphors against them. Such as life (innocents dying in war) and that even religious figures faces moral dillemas. Therefore talk about the root values discussed in religous text and apply them to public policy.
Susan Neiman wrote on the Huffington Post about how to win the Culture Wars. Now I know what you're thinking, as I have written here before, all economic policies are indeed values based. But there are some issues that may or may not involve government that are really all about values. And remember, voters vote for the candidate/party that best reflects their value system. That's the root of identity politics, or pandering politics.
My annotation of Neiman's piece:
1. Take "values issues" and "the culture war" seriously for its own sake. Neiman points out that conservatives talk about goodness and working toward such a society. Given the GOP platform those are empty promises, but at least on the campaign trail, voters can fill in the emptiness. Democrats need to talk about why are policies are "good and moral", not just "smart".
2. Don't be afraid to be corny talking about values. My definition of corniness is being honest about your feelings without any pretense. While framing, and metphors, and narratives, are important, Neiman says that non-verbally showing conviction is the best way to communicate to voters what you are about. While a lot of Americans are fooled by the GOP's slick communications apparatus, it doesn't take intellectual sophistication to spot a phony.
3. Use their metaphors against them. Such as life (innocents dying in war) and that even religious figures faces moral dillemas. Therefore talk about the root values discussed in religous text and apply them to public policy.
posted by Teka Thomas at 8:22 PM
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