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Monday, May 28, 2018

CAMPAIGN ADVICE FOR 2018 AND BEYOND

Chemi Shalev hits on something important today in his 'Chemisphere' briefing, something REALLY important for all us libs and progs: he points out, again, that our Sincere Virtue in opposing the right-wing program that I call Trumpery (it's an actual word; look it the f*** up!) won't gain us victory. Even money from me on that WITH our own positive message getting us there! What we need to get us over the top for real is getting AWAY from that awful pedagogical 'eat-your-veggies' style shared by WAY too many of us!
For an example: I supported Bernie two years ago in the primaries, but that was because of what he wanted to do and I was able to get past his personal style, which can charitably be described, I think (Sorry, Bern!) as 'clunky'. How many actual or possible voters EVER get past the personal style of candidates? We need uncompromising honesty about this!
We need more candidates who take THEMSELVES a lot less seriously. People who can campaign with more than a little personal pizzazz, who can leaven their speeches with interesting-sounding quotes, lyric lines or take-your-pick--people not afraid to laugh at themselves and with the courage to invite their audiences to join with them in doing so!
Yes, we need to take our platform seriously but for victory's sake don't be so dam'...heavy-faced about it. Take a clue or two from 'Scaramouche' as Sabatini wrote him up. Don't hold back on scaring our audiences with, say, the consequences of NOT tackling climate change or inequality further widening! I have at least a few ideas about such dystopian images; feel free to ask about 'em!
And on the same note I'd advise my brethren on the religious Left to, while I hope they preach and, far more importantly, LIVE love of all, to also edge--but ONLY edge--their sermons and speeches with a tongue or two of fire and the same number of whiffs of brimstone. I think it'll be good!
We also need to encourage people to contribute in non-monetary ways. I know I hate that candidates and organizations never stop begging for cash! But it's also important to have people see what they CAN pitch in with. We need to be much more Disraelis than Gladstones here. Less impressing others with OUR purported brilliance and more illumining the brilliance in members of our audiences. At any rate, let there be no more cause for us to wail the lament of Charlie Brown's ever-losing baseball team: "How could we lose? We were so SINCERE!" Puh-LEEZE!
Finally, when we DO need to 'teach', let's do so not in the oh-so-superior style of the most irritating teacher in the school, but in the style of a coach calling his players out for doing less of a good job than they could have done--and expecting that, thus chastised and instructed, they WILL do better!

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