Delete--dupe

[carolinayellowdog]

Hey,

Gardner, best known for his work on multiple intelligences, has just published this book subtitled The Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other People's Minds. Because mind-changing is the task facing John Kerry and his supporters between now and November, I'll summarize some of his main points. The author identifies 7 "levers" that are factors in all cases of changes of mind: reason, research, resonance, representational redescriptions, resources and rewards, real world events, and resistances (identifying and overcoming them that is.)

We know that the facts and evidence are on our side; the research and reason presented in a dozen recent books would be fatal to the * campaign IF that were all that counts. The financial resources of the Kerry campaign are approaching those of the incumbent, although the invaluable resource of media bias still favors Bush despite some cracks in the facade. Real world events also appear to be on our side, with nonstop bad news for Bush for the last couple of months and no signs of respite ahead.

It seems to me that the key factors Democrats need to work on are identifying and overcoming resistances to the realization that this administration is a disaster; expressing Kerry's message in some kind of narrative that reframes the choice facing voters (the redescription part); and doing so in a way that resonates with what voters already know. Hope someone in the campaign reads this book and applies its insights.

CYD