How many can say they have read Drew Westen's book 'The Politcial Brain'

[merbex]

I can.

The subtitle to it is 'The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of a Nation'

His book explains this site to a T.

We are partisans here.

Some are partisans to principles - such as defending SS and Medicare, and Medicaid, promoting social and economic justice.

And some are partisan to individual politicians to whom they have emotionally invested in: with support,perhaps money, time and effort.

He explains through the use of science how when partisans are confronted with facts that conflict with their strongly held beliefs or their allegiance to a particular individual politician that their brains actually undergo a change to adapt to the information ~ mostly we rationalize negative information away. Or simply ignore it.

The book is OUTSTANDING in showing how voters react to politicians through the use of emotion ~ it is something that the GOP understand very well: it is why they they attack Democratic politicians personally because they know that voters votes vote for the person,first and foremost not a policy. A politician in order to win must be viewed as authentic, trust worthy, not 2 faced. People will vote for a person they do not even agree with on issues if they perceive that person as 'authentic' true to themselves ~ it explains why they attacked the war record of John Kerry and why they labeled him a flip-flopper. Why they mocked Al Gore. They had to take them down ~ personally.

His book explains why so many of us feel disillusioned with the pro- corporate policies Obama has followed - because it fundamentally shows the 'flip flops' on the CHANGE message he campaigned on.

But go ahead ~ attack the messenger~ probably Westen and me for highlighting his work - it shows that the science behind Westen's work is correct: you as a partisan must rationalize negative information away because the truth is too painful to accept:you have emotionally invested in someone that does not expend half the effort on what you care about as he does on what Wall St cares about.

[Odin2005]

1. I'll have to look for that book!

[snagglepuss]

2. He is now on my must read list. nt

[Exultant Democracy]

3. DU is a leading indicator for the left. Always out of step with the main stream because we

are often at least 6 months ahead of everything.

That being said I have read and enjoyed that book along with everything written by George Lakoff and they both make a clear case for how the left should proceed if we want to win.