--- On Thu, 9/4/08, Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:
> > The cotinual fuss on this list about the conservatives
> is really
> > pretty
> > absurd. They are not the problem; they are merely part
> of the terrain
> > that we opeate on.
> >
> > The point is to build an effective leftist core to
> respond to crises
> > that energize a larger part of our passive base. That
> isn't done by
> > this
> > pompous superiority to the likes of Palin. Grow up and
> begin to think
> > politically.
>
>
> You don't think there's any relation here? That the
> reason that it's
> so impossible to build a left in the U.S. has something to
> do with how
> deeply right-wing so much of the American population is?
>
[WS:] Treating political discourse as mere symbol manipulation and social relations as inert millieu in which political movements operate is probably one of the most serious misconceptions of the left in general. I think it is rooten in the Cartesian view of the world in which abstract thought is superior over anything material.
However, new neuriscience research shows that language symbols are ingrained by usage in our neural structure. That is, frequent use of right wing cognitive frames and metaphors develops neural connections that facilitate automatic response to these linguistic stimuli and evoke right wing interpretative schemata. Far from being inert terrain in which "we" operate - political discourse is a key determinant of the very essence of human nature as rational being.
I strongly recommend George Lakoff's new book "The Political Mind" - which makes this argument quite eloquently. It is obvious to me that unlike Democratic operatives and consultants of the previous era, Obama took a lesson or two from that book or perhaps Lakoff's theories in general and is applying that lesson with a great success.
This is the key reason why I support Obama - notwistanding the whining of left populist critics about his real or imagined sins of veering to the right, dissing the poor, or attracting rich donors. He is the first Democrat since Reagan "revolution" who successfully broke away from the neo-con framing of political issues and developed an alternative frame.
Clinton was merely successful in outmanneuvering the Repugs using thier own rules of the game (that is why they hated him so much). Obama, otoh, succesfully introduced new rules of the game and that is why the Repugs do not quite know how to deal with him other than denouncing his oratory talents as "empty talk." I think that Obama has a good chance of reversing the "reagan revolution" by introducing a progressive way of framing of political issues as a legitimate alternative in the political discourse. He alredy did that in his convention speech - the fact that was lost aminds distraction crteated by th eintroduction of MacCain's "dancing girl." http://www.cartoonbank.com/product_details.asp?mscssid=53D45EK7M7BU8G201D738FWNC11V1M76&sitetype=1&did=4&sid=125390&pid=&keyword=dancing+girls§ion=all&title=undefined&whichpage=6&sortBy=popular
Wojtek