Are Progressive Issues More Complex than Conservative Issues?

[The Whiskey Priest]

In thinking about why progressive issues do not resonate with the average American, I began to consider that perhaps we have taken up the cause of issues that are so complicated that they do not lend themselves to simple explanations. The conservatives have demonstrated an ability to pick issues and then to explain that issue with a single resonating, or catch-phrase that soon becomes part of the lexicon. The question is why are issues so complex that we cannot find a simple way to communicate them?

One other point that presented a question; Are our issues such that they require a negative admission from the average American in order for the solution to be accepted, i.e. Poverty is increasing rapidly in America. In order to address the example, the average American would have to make the admission that America is not quite the land of opportunity that it is purported to be.

If this is even partly true, then what do we do to, or can we change, our presentation? What are your thoughts?

[movonne]

1. I think there as so many more issues with progressive thinking people.

[Warpy]

2. There's nothing complicated about the issues

However, the solutions to them do become complicated.

Perhaps the non DLC candidates should just keep hammering about the issues: Fair wages for working people, economic justice at home and abroad, ending corporate corruption and its effect on government, spreading the burden of government fairly, and ending profiteering in everything from cable service to health care (among others).

When some smug pubbie says "But how're ya gonna do all that?" just ask him what his plan for making Iraq a success is. Or ask him how the GOP has improved the lives of sevice workers who now have to live in their cars. Ask him anything embarrassing.

It's worked for them. Time to make it work for us.

[The Whiskey Priest]

10. I agree...they are not complicated to me, or you

but, as you state, the solutions are what give us problems. The issue is two parts in mind; the problem and the solution.

[sui generis]

3. wrong question

the appropriate question is who is the "average American"?

The average American is a bundle of insecurities. W-a-a-y more insecurities than anything else. Insecure about their identity if they don't have a job, the right car, a powerful church to belong to and a powerful political party to affiliate with. Insecure about people who look different from themselves, and extremely insecure about people who aren't as insecure or driven by insecurity as they are.

In short, the average American is a Rovian wet dream.

Think about everything the republicans do to "unite" their base. Hate the evil liberals trying to take your hard earned tax dollars. Hate the evil homos trying to take away your traditional marriage. Hate the evil rag heads trying to bomb a shopping mall near you. Hate the evil democrats for being so hateful to your Great Leader. Hate the evil atheist progressive liberal commie democrats who want to take away god out of your life. Hate the evil gun grabbers. Hate Hillary. Hate anyone who protests the war. Hate hate hate hate and fear ad nauseum.

And it works, it really does. Anytime you want your nutcase base to vote on a republican issue you want to win on, throw gay marriage or gay rights onto the ticket. That'll bring the crazies out in their church buses and NRA vans, as has been proven over and over and over.

After they're done making sure that two people of the same sex who aren't genetically related can't even legally LIVE together, they'll start working on whether gays should even be allowed to vote or own property.

[greiner3]

7. After the Russian collapse in the 90's;

I thought and knew that there had to be an 'evil' state somewhere. I thought of who it could be and came up with the idea that it would be one that would be made up. Damn, I should have written a book. It would not have been believed.

[Extend a Hand]

4. I think it's a difference in a persons moral developement

Progrerssive people are more complex than conservative people. Many (Most?) conservatives seem stuck in that stage of moral development where everything is black or white. Progressive's recognize the many shades of grey and their positions and ideas are more nuanced and complex.

[AZBlue]

5. That and intellectual curiosity

I would generalize that progressives tend to ponder situations, look at it from different sides, want as much info as they can from differing news sources and then come up with their own opinions and ideas. Conservatives want info fed to them easily and quickly so they can just regurgitate it without taking too much time away from their TV-watching.

[Nickster]

11. I don't know if it's so much moral development as it is a different moral

development "pyramid" so to speak. They have different values than we do and until we understand what their morals look like, we will have problems getting our candidates elected. I agree with you that they are all "black and white" though, that's why their ideas are so devoid of humanity. They are unable to see, love, or appreciate all of the many nuances that real human beings living real and imperfect lives have.

[porphyrian]

6. Our issues are complicated by a number of factors.

One major hurdle is the successful right-wing propaganda campaign we must overcome. They have successfully taken control of the MSM and the soundbite talking points that the average American uses as their sole source of news. In this manner, they identify and frame the issues in whatever manner they find most advantageous, which is usually counter to our stance. Thus, we have to convince the people that what they've been told already is either not true or a distraction from the truth, making us sound like ranting conspiracy theorists and, as you suggest, require a negative admission (our government and the MSM are lying to us), which defies even Occam's Razor, though it's true.

Another is the way we present our issues. We always feel the need to explain, which often leads to the need for more background information, and quickly gets out of hand. It is important for us to learn that people don't need to understand something to believe it.

[The Whiskey Priest]

9. Interesting response

Would you consider that the Republicans have developed the ability to frame a bogus issue that is the perfect trap...that is an issue where the most obvious response is wrong because it then triggers a negative reaction from the voter because it raises an unspoken issue that is contained in the original issue.

[porphyrian]

12. Absolutely, though it need not be a proprietary tactic.

I'm having trouble thinking of a specific instance through my cold medicine at the moment, but I have no doubt that they already have employed this strategy.

[ck4829]

8. Conservatism is the easy way

Not doing anything is ALWAYS easier than doing something.

[dmkinsey]

13. If it won't fit on a bumper sticker

it's too complicated for republicans.

I've been saying for years.

[XemaSab]

14. Framing

Also, I think "the average american" is receptive to progressive issues, the right just has a lot more experience with framing than we do.

[leftofthedial]

15. the issues are by and large the same

(although "conservatives" ignore many of them)

it's just that progressives, being far more intelligent than the regressives, recognize that many of the issues are complex and not reducible to black-and-white soundbites.