Lakoff: What Counts as an "Issue" In the Clinton-Obama Race?

[usregimechange]

Political endorsements rarely make interesting reading. But this year is different. Take the endorsements of Hillary Clinton by the New York Times and Barack Obama by Caroline Kennedy ...

The difference is striking. To the editors of the New York Times, the quality of leadership seems not to be an "issue." The ability to unite the country is not an "issue." What Obama calls the empathy deficit -- attunement to the experience and needs of real people -- is not an "issue." Honesty is not an "issue." Trust is not an "issue." Moral judgment is not an "issue." Values are not "issues." Adherence to democratic ideals -- rather than political positioning, triangulation, and incrementalism -- are not "issues." Inspiration, a call to a higher purpose, and a transcendence of interest-based politics are not "issues." It is time to understand what counts as an "issue," to whom, and why...

There is a reason that Obama recently spoke of Reagan. Reagan understood that you win elections by drawing support from independents and the opposite side. He understood what unified the country so that he could lead it according to his vision. His vision was a radical conservative one, a vision devastating for the country and contradicted by his economic policies.

Obama understands the importance of values, connection, authenticity, trust, and identity. But his vision is deeply progressive. He proposes to lead in a very different direction than Reagan. Crucially, he adds to that vision a streetwise pragmatism: his policies have to do more than look good on paper; they have to bring concrete material results to millions of struggling Americans in the lower and middle classes. They have to meet the criteria of a community organizer.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-lakoff/what-counts-as-an-issue_b_84177.html

George Lakoff is Richard and Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Professor of Cognitive Science and Linguistics at the University of California at Berkeley.

[tabatha]

1. Great. Thanks for posting.

[usregimechange]

2. Your welcome!

[Name removed]

3. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ClayZ]

4. K and R

[Neo-wobbly]

5. Question:

On what issues do Clinton and Obama disagree? While I would agree that Obama's message is more positive, neither he nor Clinton seem to actually stand for anything, and it's hard to argue the issues when there aren't any.

P.S.: Reagan, whatever his faults, also understood that he had to appeal to his base, as well as win "Swing" votes; neither Obama nor Clinton is giving a liberal a reason to vote for them.

[H2O Man]

6. Nominated!

Thank you for posting this.

[crispini]

7. I'm going to kick this.

Because I just read the article, and it's great, and Lakoff is da bom.

[Eurobabe]

8. George Lakoff gets a valentine heart

I continue to love this wise, perceptive man. :loveya:

[crispini]

9. Just one lil kick