"Mr. Bush, just what is it about 'So help me God' that you find so offensive?"

[rodeodance]

I think it just might work


>
> This is your brain on politics. Any questions?
> By Swopa
> Jul 12 2007 - 2:46pm
>
> From the Los Angeles Times on Monday:

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-guru9jul09,1,4614069.story?coll=la-politics-campaign&ctrack=5&cset=true
> Drew Westen, a genial 48-year-old psychologist and brain researcher, was talking to a rapt liberal audience about the role of emotion in politics, how to talk back aggressively to Republicans, and why going negative is not to be feared.
>
>
> . . . Example: When President Bush recently refused to allow Karl Rove to testify under oath about his role in the sacking of federal prosecutors, Westen said, Democrats blundered. Instead of insisting Rove testify under oath, they simply should have said (over and over), "Mr. Bush, just what is it about 'So help me God' that you find so offensive?"
>
> . . .
>.....

The only real solution, in the long term, is to rewire voters' subconscious associations so they stop linking the GOP strong-daddy pose with morality and common sense -- and, as a result, stop electing the crooks who wind up deserving to be ousted or imprisoned. In that sense, Nancy Pelosi or John Edwards or Howard Dean saying, "This is an issue of right and wrong, and just doesn't get it," is more damning than any legal indictment or bill of impeachment.

Of course, leave it to Democrats to need a brain researcher with a Ph.D. to explain this to them. Without the references to neural circuits and the amygdala, they wouldn't buy it.

(Cross-posted at Firedoglake.)

[rodeodance]

1. Chairman Howard Dean blurbed the book. Billionaire George Soros opened his home for a book party las

.....In his new book, "The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation," Westen, who is not affiliated with a particular candidate, lays out his argument that Democrats must connect emotionally with the American electorate — and that he can teach them how....

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean blurbed the book. Billionaire George Soros opened his home for a book party last month.

To some, Westen's ascent feels like a replay of what happened in the 2004 election with another Dean favorite, UC Berkeley linguist George Lakoff, who burst onto the scene with theories about "framing" as a way to control political debate.

[Jade Fox]

2. Part of the sense of being fair that we Democrats have.....

comes in the form of not wanting to win by manipulating people emotionally. We try to go for logic and factual truth, rather than playing to people's fears and fantasies. It is a very different world view when you think about it.

Unfortunately, as this man (and others) are pointing out more and more, if we don't appeal to people on an emotional level, the Right will. And they do. Manipulating voters by invoking 9/11 is only failing because Bush has used it too many times.

Still, the thought of trying to appeal to people's frequently childish and silly emotions makes me a little queasy.