Reply #77: we need to keep in mind

[H2O Man]

that there are some things that we can control; some things we can influence; and there are other things that are beyong our influence or control. Each of will, for example, either choose to write a LTTE today, or choose not to: we control our own actions. If we do write a letter, it has the potential to influence the way people think; if we don't write that letter, we give up that potential. But what other people do, from those who read our letters, to those in Washington, are in control of their actions. We are only responsible for ourselves. Thus, there is a possibility that Bush will grant pardons. It is becoming more of a probability of indictments come, but the public does not understand the case. It is less likely if the public has a firm grasp of the scandal's implications.

It's important to remember that if you want to influence the way people behave, you must first influence the way they think. Our job is not to make people's minds up for them; it's just to make them think. That requires that we present things in a new and different light than the media has thus far in the Plame case. I'll give an example: when the Plame threads started, I used the quote from Klein's TIME article. Immediately, it clicked with DU readers WHY the VP was intent on outing Valerie Plame. It changed the way people thought about the case. And hopefully it will change the way people behave -- in the sense of joining the letter-writing campaign.