Separation of the Righteous

Creating high standards, and making sure that no one is welcome unless they are truly righteous. This is an electoral anti-strategy commonly used by the left, the opposite of the big tent. Instead of looking for ways to connect with people who don't accept the full suite, it is looking for ways to declare yourself (usually on social media) as better than them. It generally is also anti-education: I don't want to talk with you unless you accept my most challenging ideas, which I shouldn't have to talk to you about. The end goal is to be right, and the other person proven wrong — an electoral anti-strategy.

By Stephen Cataldo, 12 August, 2019

Outrage and Solidarity: Example with Anne Frank quote

Cognitive Politics is about communications techniques. This blog looks at how we share outrage on social media, an exercise intended to be shared with the Smarter Politics community.

My friends are asking "When is the President going to be held accountable?"

Trump's America isn't what I ever thought America would be.

I'm angry in solidarity with you. SMART started because anger wasn't winning us elections, wasn't keeping people like Trump out of office.

Techniques

Reflect

Conversation Basics: Agree

Big Tent / Welcome

Separation of the Righteous

By Stephen, 26 January, 2019

Scapegoating youth and misplaced anger: a bad week for adults.

This quote speaks true to me. It seems accurate and eloquent, calling out a true phenomena we are seeing: To much of this country, black lives don't matter, while mistaken accusations against white kids are the apocalypse. The parents who watch black children get shot without lifting a finger, now freak out that all the kids from Covington High are called racists on a day where only some of them were caught, that day, in clear acts of contempt.

Techniques

Avoid Displaced Anger

Separation of the Righteous