Has the Left Stopped Being Effective Using Fear to Motivate Voters?

[Vinnie From Indy]

Or, has the media become so completely "corporatised" and consolidated that we don't hear the message?

[imenja]

1. using fear?

How has the left used fear, or at least how or when has it ever used it effectively? It seems to me the left has always asked voters to consider reason over emotion, but lately emotion and fear have won out.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Exactly.. I don't believe the left uses fear. They use reason and thought

I remember seeing Bill Clinton saying that exact thing on the Daily Show I believe. When people think and reason, the Democrats win. Fear and ignorance are the tools of the Repukes.

[rinsd]

4. "The draft is coming" meme as part of the get out the youth vote effort?

I would consider that a use of fear.

[yardwork]

6. I saw that as spreading a fact, not a fear

It's a fact that we are closer to having a draft than we have been for decades. Bush officials themselves acknowledge this. Also, there's already a back-door draft. Sixty-year old reservists who retired decades ago are being sent to Iraq now.

[rinsd]

10. The draft is coming is not a fact...

...it maybe a real possibilty, it may be a secret republican desire, it may be alot of things but it sure as hell isn't a fact anymore than the SS is in crisis is a fact.

"
Also, there's already a back-door draft"

True but that wasn't exactly part of the get out the youth vote message, vote or die and all that jazz. The message to kids and their parents was if Bush is elected, the draft was a certainty. Ironic considering some in anti-war corners are hoping for a draft and the possible enlistment of new people to their cause and the guy to introduce a draft bill is Wexler, a Democrat.

But as another poster said that wasn't exactly an effective use of fear.

[yardwork]

14. My kids are near draft age so I've watched this closely

I disagree that the Democrats sent a message saying, "Draft is a certainty." I think that we sent a message saying, "Draft is closer than it's been for decades and this administration is not telling the truth about the need for more troops."

Vote or Die was a little over the top. Catchy, though.

[imenja]

7. true

and I thought of that, but the question was about effective use of fear. That clearly was not effective enough. I can't think of an example when Democrats used fear effectively, other than the Cold War, which was an issue embraced by both parties.

[rinsd]

9. Okay effective use is a different qualifier....

I would then agree that the GOP has been more "effective" at using fear.

"I can't think of an example when Democrats other used fear effectively"

I'm not real sure either.

[politicaholic]

2. I think it ended with, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

After that the democrats had to find another method to swing people into action.

[Vinnie From Indy]

5. Those Are Very Good Points! n/t

[FrenchieCat]

8. Combating Fear

is more like it.

Fear is the Rethugs calling card.....

Democrats have to overcome this fear obstacle thrown in our path at every intersection.

We had to pick up all of this fear; throw it back out there with our version as to why this fear is dangerous and solves nothing.

[txaslftist]

11. The left hasn't been using enough fear.

There's some real scary things wrong with this administration. Hell, I'm scared.

[Selatius]

12. I think the problem is party stagnation

When you play defense and lose, you get overrun. When you play offense and lose, you usually simply fall back and regroup for another push. I think the problem is that the party in general became complacent and switched from offense to defense. It switched from fighting for change to simply trying to maintain the gains and social programs that were established instead of trying to find a new issue to fight for and thus determine the direction of the discourse. As a result, this allowed the Republicans to regain their balance and hit back because Democrats no longer were raising a new issue.

I'm not saying that this is the sole problem affecting Democrats. There are other issues in play here such as the state of the news media and the existence of a large, well-financed network of institutes and foundations that bolster Republicans at all levels from college to local, state, and federal arenas, but I think if the party is going to dig itself out, it's gotta look not just at the lay of the land but also look itself in the mirror.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

13. Excuse me Vinnie, but the fear card has been used time and again

by this Sociopathic administration.

What the "left" as you wish to call some of us (I prefer rational caring human beings) does is warn the rest of the people in our country about this bullshit tactic, as well as trying to enlighten people to the lies spewed out there (using FEAR).