Hoosier Roots Project

America Wakes Up

Noted journalist Greg Sargent in his new blog asserts Voters Don't Just Oppose Bush; they Oppose His Whole Party. I couldn't agree more with his analysis, you can hear the anti GOP buzz getting louder in the streets. The culprit for this dissatisfaction with the GOP in a recent Fox News poll seems to be gas prices at 29%, while Iraq is only an issue for 13%.

Voters are notoriously self interested and this poll seems to track that meme perfectly. Many people only care about issues that affect their own well being. I think we as activists need to keep this in mind as we try to interact with voters. We have to show people it is in their own self interest to reject the policies of the BushCo machine and accept policies that have a benefit not just for themselves, but for everybody.

I know this sounds to some like an argument for the advocation of the common good. I have to say there is a subtle difference however. The common good has long been associated with leftist/liberal ideology and has been attacked and smeared to the point where mentioning the common good will elicit a vitriolic response and harangues about socialism and so on and so forth.

There is a way to argue for the common good while making the idea seem like it is one of self interest as well. By advocating for policies that benefit all, direct connections to how these policies affect individuals will show them that by supporting these policies they are supporting their self interests and the interests of their neighbors. After all, the group is only as strong as the individuals within that group. We must begin to understand this better or we are doomed to repeat the failures of our past.

posted by FiniFinito @ 12:53 PM