Category: George Lakoff

Once upon a time, I had a fling with academics, although I did not climb the same august peaks as Dr. B. My seven year postgraduate career did produce a Masters in Linguistics. My big paper was on political metaphor, particularly George Lakoff's Moral Politics.

I've been trying to wrap my brain about the story that I think needs telling based on my experience with the protest movement. I'm not talking a thematic analysis of the images the RNC wanted you to see. In other words, I'm on Zinn's mission of working on history from the other side. Let me know what resonates with you.

The values espoused by the protesters, particularly the pagan cluster (who are doing the most interesting semiotic work, I think) are abundance and common wealth, interconnectedness of everything, and fun. Rebellion and resistance to injustice are others on the anti-authoritarian left.

I am cross posting this in a number of places including Daily Kos and myObama

I was profoundly changed tonight.  I want to write this while the excitement is peak!  Did I really see what I think I did tonight?  I'll tell you, I'm writing this because I want to grab your hands and hold on tight and feel your humanity join with mine as we go forward together!  I am John McCain's age and I really feel sorry for him that he has to try to counter the life and enthusiasm we all were given as a precious gift tonight.  If he were able, I wonder if he too would not want to be part of this?  I usually try to write diaries that are loaded with ideas and stimulate thought.  Not tonight!  This night goes beyond ideas - it goes beyond anything I can find words for.  I came to the speech already dedicated to doing everything I can to get this man elected.  I heard fears and doubts about what a difficult job he had tonight.  What I experienced seemed so natural and so complete that it was more than real.  No I have not been drinking. I'll try to explain myself.

The country is experiencing a conflict of world models.

Cross posted from Daily Kos
by don mikulecky [Subscribe] [Edit Diary]
Tue Jul 08, 2008 at 03:43:54 PM EDT

George Lakoff is someone who I think has much to contribute to the political strategy arena.  He is going to be far more effective than Karl Rove in the long term.  His blog on The Huffington Post:  The Mind and the Obama Magic is very helpful as we see Obama become an increasingly controversial candidate here in our own ranks as well as elsewhere.  In my own work, I rely heavily on Lakoff's ideas so I would like to discuss this piece in some detail.

Lakoff's contributions to practical political strategy are being felt more and more as this campaign progresses. Earlier we spoke about Obama's success from Lakoff's perspective..The secret behind Obama's success?.In this article he addresses the idea that Obama may be moving to the "right" for lack of a better way of putting it.