How Progressives Can Be Making Sense in 2008

Let me tell you about a new project from Campaign for America’s Future called "Making Sense 2008." Or, if you want, skip this advertisement and go right to the project’s first set of talking points [1].

I’m sure it’s no surprise to you that most Americans are progressive on most issues. By margins of at least two to one, our fellow citizens believe corporations and upper-income people are paying too little in federal taxes; oppose repealing the federal estate tax; favor quality, affordable health care for all “even if it means raising your taxes”; support the idea that the federal Medicare program should negotiate prescription drug prices directly with pharmaceutical companies; want federal action to address global warming; would require auto manufacturers to make cars more energy efficient; say laws covering the sale of handguns should be more strict; think labor unions are necessary to protect workers; believe that gays and lesbians should be able to serve openly in the military; and do not want the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.

That’s the good news. Here’s the bad. Most Americans also support traditional conservative principles—limited government, lower taxes, free markets, and personal responsibility. (Yes, friends, polls persistently show this.) In other words, a large group of Americans favor both progressive policy and conservative philosophy. As a result, they may side with either progressives or conservatives, depending on how a political question is framed.

These are the persuadable voters. They’re the ones who will make the difference in the 2008 election because, unlike the progressive/Democratic or conservative/Republican base, they can be persuaded to join either side. And the only way to persuade them is to address issues that are most important to them in language that appeals to them.

Here’s my point—I doubt that very many of this column’s readers are persuadable voters. You’ve made up your mind already. So you’re different than the people we have to convince. Compared to persuadable voters, you may have a different set of concerns and somewhat different values, and you undoubtedly pay more attention to political news, know more political facts, and make different assumptions when thinking about issues.

In short, if an argument appeals to you—a committed partisan—it probably doesn’t appeal to persuadable voters!

So I’m asking you to do something that is not natural for progressives—take direction from poll-tested message frames. How will you know what to say? Making Sense 2008 will produce and distribute research-based talking points on a variety of issues during the election season.

\The first is about McCain’s health care plan and you can see it here: http://www.ourfuture.org/makingsense2008 [1]. If you want to receive these talking points—sent about once a week at first and then more frequently as Election Day approaches—please sign up by clicking here [2].

There’s no doubt that George W. Bush’s administration has been a catastrophe, and that historians will one day rank him as one of our nation’s very worst presidents. That’s why this election is so critical—the very soul of America hangs in the balance. We’ve got to take back America, and soon, before solutions to national and global problems slip beyond our reach. I know you’re going to work your hearts out. Let us help you become a more effective advocate.