I think I understand the psychology of those who want to blindly

[CoffeeAnnan]

follow George Bush. Most of them see a world where their sense of
supremacy is being challenged.Women, minorities, foreigners have all adapted to the new world in which education in technology is the carrying card and not the color of one's skin or one's gender.Being unable to cope with this changed environment, they have started clinging to their faith to separate them from the "other" people and think Bush is one of them because he caters t their deepest prejudices.But Bush also has one foot in the corporate world,which demands ability and low costs to continue to make its profits.The uneducated population that has cast its lot with Bush is going to discover that Bush is not one of them.By the time that realization dawns on them, Bush would be long gone just like he left his shareholders at Harken and Arbusto holding worthless stock certificates after looting the coprporations.

[JPJones]

1. Bingo. Except that they aren't necessarily uneducated

just ignorant.

[CoffeeAnnan]

7. I think I will modify my statement this way.They are probably educated

but find themselves with outdated skills the market does not need any more. This probably makes them even more furious that others have surpassed them economically.Does that make sense.?

[patdem]

2. I do not see that women, minorities and foreigners follow bush**

blindly? Where do you get your information???

[Stinky The Clown]

3. uh .... I don't think that's what he said .........

[patdem]

4. uh....you offered no explaination as to what you 'think' he said...

please...be specific!!!!

[JPJones]

5. Why is it his fault that you didn't read the post carefully? n/t

[CoffeeAnnan]

6. Read my post carefully before you post.That is not what my post says.

[Ardee]

8. People follow leaders

They follow leaders who appear strong and confident even more closely. They follow leaders who make blatant appeals to their deepest fears very closely indeed.

Make no mistake here, people follow Bush because they have been given no better alternatives...honest.The Dems are consistent only in running really crappy campaigns, in failing to display the moral courage to stand on their honest desires for the best for all people, in trying to be Bush but nicer.

[CoffeeAnnan]

9. The Dems do not display any passion, except possibly for Howard

Dean, in speaking for their natural constituency of labor, blacks, Jews, Asians, Hispanics, women and others the system does not care about.Unless we have someone who articulates this belief we will continue to have what you call crappy campaigns.

[Ardee]

10. Then please account for

Dean's abysmal showing in the primaries.

I do not wish to offend, and I agree that Dean has passion, but I have no great opinion of his politics, especially after researching his career in Vermont as Lieutenant Governor and then as Governor, a career in which he was anything but a progressive. I do not know why he failed so miserably in the race for the nomination but ,again without meaning to offend any of his supporters, I think people saw through his charade as a new Paul Wellstone, he isn't.

I really believe that Kerry should have won this race, just as I believe that Gore should have buried Bush. Yet in both cases they ran circumspect and cowardly races, with one eye on the corporate donation and not enough attention to conscience and truth......just one guys opinion folks.

[CoffeeAnnan]

13. To me Dean came across as a man who identified with our base.

I may be wrong but the others seemed to keep labor, blacks, hispanics at arm's length and semed to be under the spell of the DLC.

[Ardee]

14. I would not seek to step on any toes here

For years I have looked to the Democrats to field a candidate that would return that party to its salad days of Kennedy magic.So it was with relish that I listened to the early Dean speeches.But something about his phrase,"I represent the democratic wing of the Democratic Party" made me do what I do, namely dig and dig at something until I am satisfied that I know what I am supporting.

Upon researching Dean's tenure in the Vermont political arena I learned of his closeness to the GOP and his distance from and fiery relationship with the democrats there.I found that his Governorship was fraught with cuts to education, weakening of clean air and clean water legislation in favor of corporate entities like IBM.

Now, suddenly, with a chance at the White House he becomes almost Wellstonian,sans any mention of exactly when this epiphany occurred. I think that he talks the talk but I fear he doesn't walk the walk. Have you done anything to reassure yourself about his sincerity and ,dare I say, honesty?

Please do not be insulted or angry about this , I mean no disrespect to your fealty to Dean and hope that you have reassured yourself that your trust is justified.I know this is silly but, despite the votes for Bush Ive always put great faith in the instincts of the American voter, silly,huh? They overwhelmingly refused to buy into Dean, wonder why?

[CoffeeAnnan]

16. I will look into this.Admittedly, I took Dean at his word.His passionate

defense of our positions convinced me.I will have a more educated response when I finish my research.

[Ardee]

19. Remember at all times

this is politics......

[Democat]

11. Democratic Leadership does not exist since Clinton

We have no leaders, we have no voice.

[__Inanna__]

12. What happened to dumb, lazy and selfish?

There are plenty of people who follow him because they refuse to go beyond Fauxnews and like the pablum dispensed. I just had a conversation with one and my head is splitting, and she told me they're happy we're over there (the Iraqis) and went so far as to say that the pics I'd seen of infants with missing limbs were probably left over from Saddam's day.

I find myself caught between the chasm of sanity vs. insanity these days. I knew * was inherently not to be trusted, but since coming here my mind has been opened so much it hurts. Now I wonder if I am not fit for being committed somewhere, as if what I am reading here is true, it's almost too much to take.

Oh, and let's not forget them being simply close-minded and selfish and greedy, as they hear lower taxes and that gets their vote.

[Cleita]

15. Of course it's roots are in racism and to a lesser degree sexism.

This is why we on the left have to recognize these vestiges of the old order in ourselves to move forward and to influence those who are still thinking in this backwards way and unfortunately that's half of the population.

[bloom]

17. This was written in 1995

but addresses the first part of what you wrote:

http://www.wwcd.org/issues/Lakoff.html

Metaphor, Morality, and Politics,
Or, Why Conservatives Have Left Liberals In the Dust

by George Lakoff

---

I hear that Dean had his staff reading a Lakoff book - "Moral ...?" probably about these general principles.

[w4rma]

18. Folks get confused easily.

It's like taking a test without studying for most folks. What seems obvious isn't obvious to many people. They don't see the big picture. They only see pieces of the puzzle. A piece of the puzzle that that gives them $300. A piece of the puzzle where everyone around them is saying that Bush has "values". A piece of the puzzle where some guy, Rush or O'Neil or something, on the radio said that Kerry shot a man in the back while in Vietnam.