I have puzzled about what is going on with our electorate for more than a decade - I think I understand it a bit now. If you really want to see that, here is my blog post. The answer is simple - we are a racist nation. What to do about it is the problem.
When I found this Words To Win By Podcast it hit me just right. This is an approach that seems to work in our fractured world.. This podcast has used science, research, interviews, and a lot of work, to discover the best way to deal with this racist world in our elections. Our natural inclination is to be polite, and just ignore the racist dog whistles and fear mongering sent our way by the opposition. But that is a mistake. We do not want to repeat their message, but we do want to call it out, counter it, send an inclusive message to overcome it. That is what the rest of this entry is about.
So, if you are of the "racist" leaning - you should probably stop here. You could of course write me a nasty note at the bottom - I promise to read it. If you are brave, you might read just a bit more. Thanks for that.
Greater than Fear - Minnesota
Over the last decade, it has become crystal clear that politics is not a rational debate. People are so driven by fear that their thinking freezes up. Politicians on the right have become adept at “dog whistle” messages - using racial threats masked by clever wording to make people afraid. The Words to Win By researcher Anat Shenker-Osorio came to Minnesota in 2018 to help the state overcome this fear mongering. The key is to expressly counter the racism - not to ignore it.
This was not a simplistic get out the vote campaign. This was a focused message based on a lot of research and work. The Greater than Fear banner is one result. And the tagline is just as important. “In Minnesota we’re better off together.” The message is that we are stronger with a multi-racial, multi-ethnic heritage. The popular wisdom is to ignore the racial threat message - but that does not work. The other side simply repeats it. A better approach is to counter it with a positive multi-racial message. Once people understand how the messaging works, the power of the fear is defeated.
Their research on the political attitudes in MN is also significant. I was surprised to learn that only 27% of MN voters are on “our” side, with 30% on “their” side, and a “persuadable” population of 44%. The numbers are different in metropolitan MN, but the statewide ones are scary.
https://wordstowinby-pod.com/greater-than-fear-minnesota/
To listen to the podcast there is a small PLAY button near the top of the page. It’s just 30 minutes, and I am sure you will find it very enlightening.
Below is a pointer to a PDF with a nice summary of the research behind this effort. It also contains simple wording messages, pictures, and more details.
https://bravenewwordspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Minnesota-Race-Class-Narrative-research-brief.pdf
Unfortunately, the certificate for that site has expired and most browsers will alert you to a potential risk. Feel free to click on the link, and go to "advanced". It will simply download a PDF of the research. If that causes you concern, I put a copy of the document here which you can retrieve without qualms.
All In Wisconsin - All in for All of Us.
WI was a key swing state in the 2020 election. This podcast describes the methods, the words, the messages, the talking points they used to win the state. Remember, this is based on research - not someone’s opinion. We are about science, aren’t we? If you find better information, better science - let me know.
Podcast is here: https://wordstowinby-pod.com/season-2-episode-1/
The play button is right at the top. Our prior President won WI by 0.77% of the vote. Our current president won by 0.63%. A 1.4% point move.
The key point again is that we cannot just ignore the race / class fear raised by the other side. We need to confront it expressly. AND - this is a whole lot of work - no magic bullet.
I put a copy of the WI Messaging Guide here in case you want to review it. What to say, what to focus on, etc. The MN research is here, in case you missed it.
- More on the Race / Class narrative https://www.wemakethefuture.us/about
- Messaging Guides, outlines https://www.wemakethefuture.us/resources#messaging
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