Thank you for sharing this immensely valuable on-the-ground perspective. I'm with you all the way about local civic engagement being the ultimate foundation for building a political system that serves people. As the great business management educator Peter Senge would say, we need to become aware of the systems we operate in and update our mental models about how the world works.

Only when we make these changes in ourselves will our politics reflect a different set of values. Change always begins within.

Best,

Joe

There are 10,120 precincts in Ohio each made up of no more than 1400 neighbors. Most of these seats remain unfilled because BOTH parties are satisfied with little participation because it is easier to run a small group from the top.

At least here in Ohio people of empathy and responsibility for self and others haven't figured out how to "institutionalize" these values in their parties through this election process, but we're trying.

I'm running again in my county and I'm in a rural county with few precincts so my voice is a slight irritant and enough to effect the conversation.

The presidency is only 1 of 3 of the branches, not to mention the other 50 states with a 3 branch government. We need to start at the bottom.

a generally accepted morally-based conceptual framing;

an overall narrative, with heroes, victims, and villains;

a readily recognizable, well-understood language;

funding sources;

and a national communication system set up for both leaders and ordinary citizens to use."

Much of this exists, what does not exist and will likely never really exist is lavish funding sources. We must work out ways to accomplish our goals with funding that will never be a penny to a dollar compared to what is against us.

We currently have a magical communication system for as long as it is at least as accessable as now.

Dr Lakoff has lead the way with a morally based conceptual system, there are plenty of heros, villains, and we are awash in victims, all we are really missing is the ole' "generally recognised" part.

The other side handed us the hammer to smash them with over a year ago but Liberals were too fearful to grab the handle. I grabbed it but have mostly had to swing it alone for all that time.

When they called Obama and the liberal agenda "Socialist" they declared themselves "Anti_Socialists' and proudly Unsocialized. They did not hand such a prize in calling themselves "Teabaggers". As long as we can grab the "Socialist" banner and insist on the "Socialized Child" definition we can very much win the Day.

Their entire value system is based on the legitimacy of whoever ends up as the "leader" no matter how they got there, that all success is deserved by its existence. This divine right of Kings was not much promise when first stated, but to grab the GOP initials that few people know the source of and make "Gang Of Pirates" the words everyone hears when they see the initials, the instantly accessible implication is that all leadership is NOT legitimate, and needs accountability if it is to act responsibly.

Make those narratives generally known and repeated and the movement will need little else, but to stand with all the real people while they storm the gates.

President Obama mistakenly believes that the economy can be "reinflated" for long term economic growth. Nothing could be further from the truth. Peak-oi and declining net energy will push our industrial civilization off the cliff and into a terminal decline and possible catastrophic collapse. Policy makers have only 10-20 years at the most to avoid the worse of what lies ahead, which will likely be nuclear war if TPTB insist on a business as usual approach.

The recent Supreme Court decision on corporate money in politics will turn the country completely over to corporate control within 10 years. The political class is firmly in their grips now so matters can only get worse. The only hope would be for millions of Americans to occupy the streets of Washington D.C. for as long as it takes to effect a ban on all government lobbying by corporations by making it a crime, removing the status of corporations as persons, separating political policy making from economics by using panels of scientists and engineers to advise the government (no economists or religious leaders) and publicly financing all federal elections. If the money and lobbying by corporations cannot be banned from our system the game is over and WWIII will be inevitable.

Tim Wessels

The problem lies in the top-level management structure of the party, where consultants like Mark Penn and James Carville push a pro-corporate/anti-progressive agenda that supports the cozy position of Blue Dog Dems who have sold out to their corporate masters. Last year we saw people like Alan Grayson (representative from Florida) and Anthony Wiener (representative from New York) stand up for progressive values with fervor and effectiveness during the shell game of health care reform. There are people in the party on our side. How can we help them while also advancing a "democracy movement" that focuses on the power of corporate corruption in the media and our political system?

Part of the tool set for moving in this direction will be a clear moral vision and language of authenticity that shifts the power imbalance back toward the collective will of the people (those 80% of us who support universal health care, desire to live in a clean and safe environment, and want an economic system that promotes the well-being of all people). We remain the majority, despite the decades of intense propaganda to the contrary.

- Arlen

I totally agree with you about the Democratic Party leadership (as noted in my article last week). It may be time to finally organize progressives around the need for much deeper change than even Obama had suggested while on the campaign trail.

How do you feel about organizing donors to the Democratic Party and having them withhold funds unless candidates promise to act on progressive principles? Going one step further, perhaps it's time to call for a Constitutional Convention and replace the broken system through a massive populist campaign.

Regardless of how far we feel change needs to go, George Lakoff is right about the need for a strong moral vision and strategically framed agenda that resonates well with the populace and empowers people to bring real change to our broken politics.

Best,

Joe Brewer

Director, Cognitive Policy Works