2022 04 27 What We Do About Politics

 2022 04 27 What We Do About Politics

I have been struggling for the past decade to try and make some sense of politics. What on earth is going on in our country? What has happened to our democracy? What does science and research tell us that might help us understand and change the direction? I have read a small pile of books and articles, listened to podcasts, searched high and low. I have some understanding of what is going on in humans that gives rise to all of this, but I need something we can actually DO to try to change things. WHAT?

I finally found a priceless gem. I have looked at the psychology of all of this, and neuroscience, but this is more pragmatic, nuts and bolts -, a set of tools based on research on what works and what does not to motivate people to vote. These organizations actually research the types of messages that our politicians and the media put forth, to learn what works and what does not. The right side of our political spectrum (conservatives) seem to have figured this out pretty well. They push the right buttons, and they get a response. The left side (progressives) are a bit behind the curve. Having a one sided discussion and game is never going to move us forward. 

Here are the resources. Just looking at the websites will give you a sense of the way these messages are focused. This is not a collection of opinions. This is based on research - surveys, studies, experiments - to see which messages resonate with people. 

The very best thing is that this first talk listed below gave me HOPE - she sees many positive signs, and has many excellent tools available. 

We Can Do This. We WILL do this.

Introduction to Words To Win By

This is an interview with Anat Shenker Osario, the author of "Words To Win By" podcast. She gives a nice summary of the research, and the primary lessons learned in the past few years. It is available on YouTube and in the original podcast.

• YouTube link: https://youtu.be/0An8O_x9KmA 

• 2022 02 10 Podcast
    https://www.futurehindsight.com/episode/winning-messages-anat-shenker-osorio/
  This site has a full text transcription of the podcast which I find to be a bit easier.

• Words to Win By podcast: Anat Shenker Osario   https://wordstowinby-pod.com/ 

• Future Hindsight Podcast  https://www.futurehindsight.com/ 

• Aso Communications - the organization behind this: https://www.asocommunications.com/  The website also has some nice shorthand lessons, such as:
  Conventional wisdom says to meet people where they are. But, on most issues, where they are is unacceptable. Applying tools from cognition and linguistics, we uncover where people are capable of going and how to use our words, images and stories to move them.

• We Make The Future
  We Make the Future (WMTF) was founded in 2021 and is built on the implementation work of Race Class Narrative Action with ASO Communications and Faith in Minnesota and rooted in Race Class Narrative research.
  We are building a multiracial movement across age, class, faith, and zip code to reinstill hope in our democracy and build a brighter tomorrow. Learn more about what we do and the movement to build a place where everyone is safe and free, no exceptions.
  The site has messaging guides and outlines and similar tools.
  This is one on how to talk about climate change in MN - do’s and don’t’s.
  https://www.wemakethefuture.us/  

• Faith in Minnesota - the political arm of ISIAH.
  Faith in Minnesota is a political home for people of faith who are acting boldly and prophetically to create a new, people-centered politics in our state — one rooted in abundance, where everyone is in and no one is out. Faith in Minnesota, the 501(c)4 arm of ISAIAH, gives us a new platform for living more fully into our moral citizenship by allowing us to organize and advocate directly in our state’s elections and political process. It is a vehicle for creating a Minnesota that is inclusive and just for every person.   https://faithinmn.org/ 

Key Takeaways

I thought it might help if I summarized some of the things I learned in the course of writing this.

• Voting is a Verb. Do not focus on issues and complicated ideas. Focus on the FREEDOM to vote, and your power in doing that. Even democracy is too complicated these days - it is about exercising the FREEDOM to vote to enable all of the other possibilities that we can accomplish together.

• Don’t Push Back. Call for action to move forward. The right says that the election was a fraud - if we just say “there was no fraud”, “no fraud”, we are relating their message. We need to say: This was the most fair election in US history, as testified to by scores and scores of election officials from both parties. Joe Biden won the largest majority of the popular vote ever recorded. He carried more counties and cities than any other candidate in history.

• Don’t ASK - TELL. Don’t ask what we can do to get young people to vote - that just sends the message to young people that they do not vote. Instead, tell them they have the power to change things. More young people voted in this last election than have ever participated in history. YOU have the power to change things. YOU are in charge with your FREEDOM to vote. YOU are going to change the world. Predict it - don’t ask for it.

• Define the Moment. We are at a critical crossroads, a pivotal point. YOUR vote will make the difference in the freedom we all enjoy in the future.

• Don’t do Negative - Spur Defiance. NOT: They are trying to silence our voices - so you should vote. RATHER: We delivered the goods in 2020, if anyone thinks they are going to silence our voices, they have another think coming. We will show up, we will fight to elect real leaders to vote in our name.

• Use First Person Plural - These are OUR problems, This is what WE need.

• Speak about what we can do - not the dangers of doing nothing.

• What You Fight You Feed: Progressive messages often lead with "no" and "don't." We rely on fear and anger — reactive emotions. To sustain long-term movements, we must shift from cataloging what we're resisting to painting a desirable portrait of the world we seek.

• Engage The Base, Persuade The Middle If your words don't spread, by definition, they don't work. To break a signal through the incessant political noise requires constant repetition. That's why our messages must persuade the middle while also energizing the base.