George Lakoff asks us, “Where’s the Movement?” Then he goes on with a lot of the same material.
I like Lakoff, don’t get me wrong. He’s been helpful in understanding the need to frame political issues to appeal to a large audience.
The problem I have with Lakoff is that what he has to say about what language moves conservatives is much more insightful than what he suggests will move liberals. IMO, he’s not much help in crafting effective jargon. The conservative selling points work because they only aspire to sell to their base. Liberals try to be everything to everyone. They try to appeal to the heart and intellect as it applies to government. Conservatives appeal to the gut. The gut reaction is always more powerful than appeals to compassion or thoughtfulness.
I mean think about it, when you see someone begging in the street, do you rush up and see what you can do to help? Do you offer them the shirt off your back? Do you offer to take them anywhere they want to go or let them stay in your place? Someone somewhere probably does but it’s far from the norm. This is the image that the empathy message implies and it ends where it runs up against the hard reality that we’re NOT all in it together and that’s just bullshit.
Liberals need to come up with some new material and don’t look to Lakoff, he just doesn’t get human nature, he’s projecting his personality type onto the rest of us. Not all liberals respond to the touchy-feely response. Look at how effective Obama was, was it because he was making appeals for empathy? No, he proposed fairness and direct action. He promised results. Action is what liberals want to see. They’re sick of being sold out by lame-ass stand-for-nothing Democrats. Liberals want justice. They want results.
Don’t wait for something worthwhile to happen, liberals. Be it now, make it happen. Learn from Obama’s failure and the conservative’s success. Don’t play to the middle, speak to the gut, shoot from the hip, shoot straight, pitch in and lend a hand. These cliches are about action and they still pay out. Craft your message about action and integrity, that will appeal to liberals at this point, IMO. And maybe even some centrists and conservatives too but don’t count on it and don’t aim for them, they are not your audience.