IdeaLog
What we stand for in twelve words
Posted on August 11, 2021
Being “conservative” remains popular. The latest Gallup Polls show that 41 percent of Americans say they are conservative on economic issues compared to only 25 percent who say they are liberal on economics. This...
Five really stupid laws enacted in 2021
Posted on July 28, 2021
This year, right wingers have been busy in conservative controlled legislatures, enacting an agenda that is so extreme that it often sidetracks to pure stupidity. It’s at least partly a reaction to Donald Trump’s...
Don’t say nationalist, populist or authoritarian
Posted on July 14, 2021
Political labels tell a story about politicians or constituent groups. Unfortunately, the media and even progressive activists often use the wrong label. The audience, as a result, gets the story wrong. Let’s focus on...
Don’t start with facts, engage emotions
Posted on June 30, 2021
The conservative movement has abandoned virtually all public policy direction and is, instead, spending its energy feeding grievance and outrage. The question is, how do we respond? Unfortunately, our usual refutation of facts won’t...
Call them “deniers”
Posted on June 16, 2021
Before we get to message framing around “election deniers, vaccine deniers, climate deniers, insurrection deniers,” etc., let’s talk about why. Mitch McConnell and his allies are counting on gridlock to disillusion Democratic voters and...
The pillars of Trumpism are hate, lies and destruction
Posted on June 2, 2021
Whether or not Donald Trump runs for office again, most conservative voters have swallowed the ideology of Trumpism hook, line and sinker. Nevertheless, a significant percentage of conservatives reject the Big Lie and can...
The Big Lie is a historic opportunity
Posted on May 19, 2021
Right to the point: First, we should do everything we can to get conservative policymakers clearly on record in support of “The Big Lie.” Second, call it “The Big Lie” even after you’re sick...
It seems SCOTUS intends to wreck state and local gun laws
Posted on May 5, 2021
The Supreme Court just announced that it will take a case designed to dangerously expand Second Amendment “rights.” The case is called New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Corlett and it would...
Don’t say “cancel culture” or “culture wars”
Posted on April 21, 2021
American conservatism has become little more than a communications engine, using bigotry as its hottest fuel. One common tactic for conservatives is to manipulate language to reframe bigotry as something else. That’s the case...
A proactive strategy shifts the debate
Posted on April 7, 2021
Whether your jurisdiction is red, blue or purple, progressives need to go on the offensive. We must make the development of proactive policy a central component of our work. We must drive bold, proactive...