Framing a Democratic Agenda

[Larkspur]

originially from The American Prospect but reprinted on AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=16828

Here is a cognitive scientist's prescription for progressives: Say what you believe and say it well, without hesitation and with moral fervor.
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=16828

I think that Dean has been following this concept from the beginning of his campaign.

Regarding the "saying what you believe with moral fervor," in Dean's early stump speeches he said that he was tired of listening to fundamentalist preachers and rightwing talk show hosts telling us how to think, yet his stump speech and the end of his Great American Restoration speech follow a similar tempo to some of those "fire and brimstone" speeches some fundmentalist preachers use to intimidate their audiences. It's like Dean is the Democratic preacher exhorting us to return to the fundamentals of our democracy, and like the ancient Israelite prophets, he bashes the powerful for abusing their authority and power. Dean did a great job co-opting that technique and instead of berating us, he used it to instill hope and confidence in his supporters and fear in those who abuse power or neglect to use their power wisely, whether they be Democrats or Republicans.