This post by the always astute Steve Soto over at the Left Coaster puts hard data behind the theories I have been advancing on this site regarding the importance of taking the offensive in the national debate and framing the issues within the context of Democratic values. The money graf:
Battling the notion that "values voters" swept President Bush to victory because of opposition to gay marriage and abortion, three liberal groups released a post-election poll in which 33 percent of voters said the nation's most urgent moral problem was "greed and materialism" and 31 percent said it was "poverty and economic justice." Sixteen percent cited abortion, and 12 percent named same-sex marriage.Recognize something about "greed and materialism" and "poverty and economic justice"? These aren't just Democratic issues; they're Christian and American issues as well. And they’re winners. Someone at the DNC – or the wonderfully creative people we have blogging – should be thinking about how we frame these issues to take the offensive against the Republicans. We need to be flogging these up and down the entire Democratic organization.
2 comments:
Not so certain that running against greed and materialism is the winner you hope it to be. Analysis of subjective polling data is tricky business. Most look upon greed and materialism as something to be frowned upon and universally found in others. One man's simple reward for hard work is another man's unneeded plunder.
Interested to hear how the above ties in with poverty and economic justice.
The fact is,"greed and materialism" can only be a winner if you are running against the materially elite. You could win if your opponent was: Donald Trump, Teresa Heinz Kerry, Ted Kennedy, Barbra Striestand, Robert Redford, …all Democrats!
Of course, there are just as many flamboyiantly rich Republicans. The point is, this is not a issue on which either party can win.
Middle America has a just sceptism about all wealth, especially inherited wealth. (Consider the events that led to unions, the virtual slavery of textile workers, the obscene displays of wealth by the robber barons, and child labor) While most americans don’t actual spend any time thinking of the class system in this “classless society”, they do have an inate loathing for the elite. They are fully aware they they do not have the luxury of spending millions of doolars for the “Cause dejour”, or defending the downtrodden while chasing the media.
Their way of fending off "greed and materialism" is to volunteer for soup kitchens or cancer walks, to go through their religious proceeses to center their souls, to work hard to better their station, and to try an insure that their children have a better future.
They can certainly not vote it out of power. There is not a party that isn’t ripe with it.
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