Kerry Healey is sadly following the Republican strategy of instilling fear in the voters, in the grand tradition of Bush I. While the unseemly ad Bush I used of Willie Horton “exiting” prison is widely condemned as being racist and fear-mongering, it seems the playbooks is still warm for Republicans. Her subtext is to make the voter, who finds her/himself in a insecure world filled with war, high gas prices, school shootings , even more fearful. The message is “if you let Deval become governor, he will let dangerous African-American men on the street and they will hurt your family”. Pretty ugly message for the leader of a progressive state.
Deval’s best response is not to fight on the facts. Rather he needs to re-frame the issue by acknowledging the intended emotional response, to help people move from fear to anger. Real security in their lives can be achieved by giving towns and cities money to re-hire police, fund schools so they can think about safety not finding pencils, funding social services so people get the help they need, and creating jobs so crime is not the only option.
This issue is not about a person (Benjamin LaGuer)nor Deval’s support. Its about turning around the Republic tool of fear as motivator, to anger as motivator. Voters will find their anger about the many shortcomings of our current leadership if the broader context is shown and the emotional response sought. For more see my post at www.wonkNOT.net –
Michael,
Your piece is right on the money but it angers me that Massachusetts voters are actually believing her. Are we really that dumb?
Kathy
Michael,
Your piece is right on the money but it angers me that Massachusetts voters are actually believing her. Are we really that dumb?
Kathy
I agree that he needs to reframe the issue as you stated, but I disagree that he needs to stop fighting on the facts. I think he needs to do both.
Sorry if this is redundant (I posted this comment elsewhere), but my Governor’s Councillor, Peter Vickery, has written a nice commentary on this subject.
Kerry Healey is certainly using the fear and loathing card to scare the bejeebers out of voters and making them “settle” for her as a safe alternative…but, a look at the crosstabs on this poll make it clear that the voters who are buying this carnival act are the MEN! Imagine that! The women surveyed are not buying the bull and see right through Healey’s desperate campaign tactics…but, the men seem to be shaking in their boots and backing away from the better, smarter, most competant candidate.
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Let’s see if we can arrange for sports marathons on all stations election day…so these paragons of strength and bravado can shake at home. Voting may be too traumatic for them.