Posted on 09/30/2004 1:44:37 PM PDT by In The Defense of Liberty
E-Mail #1
Dear MoveOn Member,
We strongly urge you to watch the debate tonight between John Kerry and George Bush. A lot of people will be tuned in, and their conclusion about who came out on top may seal their decision about who to vote for. They'll listen to you when you talk about this. If each of the 2.8 million MoveOn members watches these debates, and then gets out and promotes our candidate's positions, values and character, we could make all the difference. Your informed, personal endorsement of John Kerry carries more weight than you know.
Political operatives in Washington consistently ignore the most powerful force in politics -- word of mouth. But studies show, again and again, that the MOST trusted source of influence in politics is friends, family and colleagues. You can make a tremendous difference by recognizing the power of your own voice, and then actively talking about these debates and the coming election.
The debate tonight will be broadcast at 9pm ET, on most major networks.
If you do watch the debate, don't be surprised that George Bush does OK. These debates are highly scripted and Bush does fine with scripts. However, John Kerry has the most to gain from these debates, because this is really the first time most Americans will see him in action. This is the first time they'll see the two men side by side, as peers.
After the debate, get out and talk about what you liked about John Kerry's performance. When you talk to your friends, family, and the people at work, the most powerful way to talk about political issues and about the candidates is to tell a story about values and character.
George Lakoff, Professor of Linguistics at the University of California, has done some interesting work in connecting how people respond to political issues within a values framework. He encourages progressives to go beyond the bare facts surrounding issues to the core values that make these issues important in the first place. (He's written a great book on the topic -- see below for details.)
As Lakoff would say, there are important shared values at stake in this election -- values shared by every American. George Bush doesn't embody these values, and John Kerry does. Here are some examples of how to frame John Kerry in terms of the American values he represents:
The way a candidate embodies these values makes up the candidate's character. And in the end, people don't vote their interests, they vote character. George Bush is a reckless and stubborn man, who has consistently misled the country. This is a character statement. George Bush doesn't have what it takes to be a successful President. John Kerry is fair, thoughtful, honest, smart and courageous. That's why he will be the next President of the United States.
We've posted a number of resources that can help you flesh out your case for Kerry below. And while we're on the topic of persuading people to vote, today we're launching the sixth ad in our "10 Weeks" countdown to the election. This week's ad is a beautifully shot ad by director Marty Callner which features actress Rebecca Romijn winning over a Republican voter. You'll get a kick out of it. You can watch the ad now at:
http://www.moveonpac.org/10weeks/
But the most important thing is for you to watch the debate tonight and be sure to engage your friends, family, and colleagues. Tell them why you're voting for John Kerry. If we all do it, it'll put us over the top.
Thanks for everything you do,
--Adam, Eli, Hannah, James, Laura, and the whole MoveOn PAC Team
Thursday, September 30th, 2004
P.S. One final note: In most persuasive conversations an effective way to persuade someone is to first listen to their concerns. What issues are most important to the person you are talking to? Once you understand this persons concerns and the values you share, youll be better able to show them why they should vote for change. People who feel listened to are more apt to be receptive to your point of view.
Resources
For a great summary of how to frame political issues in terms of values, we highly recommend George Lakoff's most recent book, Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate. You can read a sample chapter of his book at:
http://www.chelseagreen.com/images/DTE_Sampler.pdf
And you can buy it online at Amazon.com at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1931498717/qid=1096558621/sr=ka-1/ref=pd_ka_1/002-8620916-1892802
If you feel like you still don't know enough about who John Kerry is to do him justice, the folks at TruthOut have posted a terrific article that gives an overview of the man and his accomplishments. Check it out at: http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/093004A.shtml
The folks at udecide.org have assembled eight great flyers, with key facts on homeland security, Iraq, jobs, health, environment, debt and education. For another great resource, as you're looking for facts to connect to these values, go to:
http://www.udecide.org
PAID FOR BY MOVEON PAC www.moveonpac.org
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
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Apologies on the links, folks.. this came via Hotmail and so they got screwed up... but you all know them anyway, and I doubt you're gonna want to visit the Demonic Rat sites anyway.
I just don't understand why the RNC hasn't sent anything out like this...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1231762/posts
Debatefacts.com
The dems are behind the times.
That made me sick.
Values, how about the morning after pill for someones daughter without the parent's consent or knowledge value.
"there are important shared values at stake in this election -- values shared by every American. George Bush doesn't embody these values, and John Kerry does.
Here are some examples of how to frame John Kerry in terms of the American values he represents:
He embodies the values of fairness and opportunity.
He embodies the values of community and patriotism.
He embodies the values of community and shared security.
He embodies the values of honesty and openness.
He embodies the values of courage and integrity."
Golly, what strong talking points. This section could have been headlined How To Lie About John Kerry.
It looks to me like they already know that Kerry is going to lose the debate, but they want their desciples to claim victory anyway.
OK Freepers, I think we all know what to do about this tactic.
They need to add the suggestion of not only to WATCH the debate tonight, but also to PAY ATTENTION to what's being said. Obviously, they haven't paid attention to anything said at the RNC convention otherwise kerry wouldn't have any supporters left!
No I won't.
REMEMBER FOLKS - VOTE, WRITE, and CALL. The opposition will be doing it.. it's imperative that we do the same!
PING for later use
Give the wee bots there orders, wipe their noses, and turn 'em loose!
Damn straight!
I'm gonna miss part of the debate but rest assured, I'll be do a Freep job on any on-line poll I see.
Good. All MoveOn members should be FORCED to sit and listen to 90 minutes of John Kerry. Their tiny little heads will explode.
REMEMBER FOLKS - AFTER TONIGHT'S DEBATE...
VOTE, WRITE, and CALL.
The opposition will be doing it..
it's imperative that we do the same!
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