cloudboy
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Joined: 12/14/2005
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There was a great article in the New Yorker about "political consulting," and how monied interests buy their positions in a democracy by hiring consultants to shape public opinion on legislation and candidates for office. Its a sad, disgusting, and funny story -- that remains true to life today. Below are rules from the "playbook."
(1) Make it personal: candidates are easier to sell than issues.
(2) Pretend that you are the Voice of the People.
(3) Attack, attack, attack.
(4) Never underestimate the opposition.
(5) Keep it simple. Rhyming’s good. (“For Jimmy and me, vote ‘yes’ on 3.”) Never explain anything.
(6) Simplify, simplify, simplify
(7) Fan flames.
(8) You can put on a fight (“he likes a good hot battle, with no punches pulled”), or you can put on a show.
(9) Winner takes all.
(10) If your position doesn’t have an opposition, or if your candidate doesn’t have an opponent, invent one.
(11) Position Press Releases as independent editorials.
(12) Never explain anything. “The more you have to explain,” Whitaker said, “the more difficult it is to win support.”
(13) Say the same thing over and over again.
(14) Subtlety is your enemy. “Words that lean on the mind are no good”
(15) . “The average American doesn’t want to be educated; he doesn’t want to improve his mind; he doesn’t even want to work, consciously, at being a good citizen,”
American Chronicles
The Lie Factory
How politics became a business.
by Jill Lepore
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/09/24/120924fa_fact_lepore#ixzz27p9AIKjl
< Message edited by cloudboy -- 9/28/2012 8:19:05 PM >
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