Not much explicit play in the hearts of those "55 million" who voted for Kerry a few weeks ago (though the website sorryeverybody.com makes the despair funny and poignant). Yet here's an example of how the linguistic players at least are coming to the aid of the Democrats - in the shape of George Lakoff, whose books Metaphors We Live By and Don't Think of an Elephant! are strenuous attempts to attend to the power of imagery and trope in the 'framing' of politics - something the Bushites, drawing from their deep Christian symbolism, have done well. Here's Lakoff's alternative:
If we communicate our values clearly, most people will recognize them as their own, personally more authentic and more deeply American than those put forth by conservatives. At the very least they will see progressives as having deeply held, traditional American principles. This would be a huge step forward from the present state, in which conservatives are seen as having a monopoly on "values" and progressives are framed as the party of "if it feels good, do it," with no higher principles.
Moral values at the national level are idealized family values projected onto the nation. Progressive values are the values of a responsible nurturant family, where parents (if there are two) are equally responsible. Their job is to nurture their children and raise them to be nurturers of others. Nurturance has two aspects: empathy and responsibility--both for yourself and your children. From this, all progressive values follow, both in the family and in politics.
If you empathize with your children, you will want them to have strong protection, fair and equal treatment and fulfillment in life. Fulfillment requires freedom, freedom requires opportunity and opportunity requires prosperity. Since your family lives in, and requires, a community, community building and community service are required. Community requires cooperation, which requires trust, which requires honesty and open communication. Those are the progressive values--in politics as well as family life.
But 'progressives' should be careful of moralising. or even spiritualising their politics, says Douglas Ruskhoff. If you can't talk it, don't walk it...
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