The President as Storyteller in Chief

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.truth-out.org/the-president-storyteller-chief67717

The celebrations surrounding the 100th anniversary of Ronald Reagan's birth overlooked an important part of Reagan's success: his ability to craft an image to serve as the focus of his political argument. When he was running for president in 1980, Reagan invented two great tales that highlighted the worldview he was selling to his supporters.

One of these tales was the story of the welfare queen. She drove to the welfare office in a Cadillac every month to pick up her welfare check. The other story involved a man who bought an orange with food stamps and then used the change to buy a bottle of vodka. Never mind that these stories were almost certainly not true: they crystallized an image of the world that Reagan campaigned against.

Unfortunately, in this respect, President Obama is no Ronald Reagan. He has persistently refused to give the country a story of the economic downturn. As a result, the center and right have eagerly filled the void.

The center-right story centers on government excess: large budget deficits, overpaid public employees and bloated government social programs. Just as was the case with President Reagan's stories, these stories are not true.

More at the link --

[patrice]

1. K&RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR~

[Poboy]

2. Its worse. Not only is he refusing to convey an accurate narrative,

he is actually ACTIVELY confirming by word and deed, the right wing 'story'!

[grahamhgreen]

4. +1

[Vincardog]

6. ++1

[msongs]

3. he doesn't seem to have any of the vision thing or standards he is willing to defend nt

[Donnachaidh]

5. bet those *visions* and *standards* make an entrance during the upcoming election

We only get the wizard mode when a job (potus) is at stake.

[Poboy]

7. Ha, all campaign bullshit.