Be Nice or Be Outraged —Finding Depth in Our Anger
Fri 2017-04-07
Nicholas Kristof’s My Most Unpopular Idea: Be Nice to Trump Voters, like most articles about judgment and outrage around this election, comes down on one side. In this case, the “nice” side, awfully close to policing the feelings of other people. "Be nice" shoots down what should be a strawman, except that it is widespread, of shouting outrage at voters you don’t know, who don’t know you, over social media — and pretending that the volume is activism.
Echo This: Carly Fiorina on Special Prosecutor
adminWed 2017-03-29
Echo This are usually straightforward suggestions of news to echo that may influence conservative or moderate voters.
Give some oxygen to the Republicans who are acting with integrity (or vengeance against Trump, that's fine too) on collusion with Russia. Their voices will influence potential Trump voters much more than Democrats saying the same things.
Share this: Carly Fiorina: 'Special prosecutor or an independent commission' needed for Russia investigation
The Choices When Framing: Your Values or Theirs? (2)
adminWed 2017-03-29
Many studies are finding that the best way to frame an argument is to use their values. The studies have a simple format: they take an issue like climate change, and describe it to a conservative in liberal-sounding
The Choices When Framing: Your Values or Theirs? (1)
Stephen CataldoMon 2017-03-27
What's the best way to frame political arguments? Some argue that we should tell stories that express our own values strongly — preferably with many voices repeating and reinforcing the same story; this is the approach in George Lakoff's Don't Think of an Elephant. At the opposite end of the spectrum, we hear advice as in Jonathan Haidt's The Righteous Mind (and Moral Foundations Theory) to spend more time listening to conservative opposition and coming to understand their values — more empathy, more compassion.
Wave Goodbye to Orwell: Framing Lessons from The Onion
Stephen CataldoWed 2017-03-15
Tuning Social Media Posts: What to do with the money for the wall
adminMon 2017-03-06
Here is a powerful video about the GOP wasting $14 billion under Trump's direction, and how much we could do with that money.
Draft: Pressure and Escape Valve
adminTue 2017-02-28
The Trump administration is battered. Most blows self-inflicted, a good bit more from the left. It is reeling. It doesn't no where to go.
This means that all that pressure is just leading to a wounded presidency. Perhaps it will lead to President Pence.
Definition: Cognitive Politics
adminSun 2017-02-26
Cognitive politics is the effect of psychological factors on partisan identity. This is in contrast to economic, social or religious reasons. For example, someone could be a social-conservative, fiscal-liberal, or cognitive-conservative. It is a subset of the broader field of “political psychology,” but specifically related to partisan identity.
Framing Reviews: Marketing vs. Truth
Stephen CataldoFri 2017-02-24
First in a series on disentangling messaging challenges on the left: Can we use framing and marketing techniques without losing connection to the truth?
"come up with at least one story for every data point."
--Tim Wise
There is a long-running struggle among Democrats: do we want politicians to stick to the truth or start marketing?
Good strategies to apply:
adminSun 2017-02-05
1 - Don't focus on him. Know who you are focusing on.
2 - Remember this is a regime and he's not acting alone. Aim your messengers to drive a wedge between his collaborators and their supporters. Call on conservatives who believe in the Constitution to stand up today. Don't judge them by who they voted for last time, but by what they do today.