Elizabeth Warren leaves Seattle Democrats the gift of narrative
Republicans have told the same simple story for 30 years. Democrats have talked about problems and policies. Story wins.
Few political strategies grip voter imaginations like a simple tale about how America got mired in the problems it faces today. The story doesn’t have to be factually accurate. It just has to resonate in the depths of the psyche the way folk tales do.
Take the plotline of the Tea Party narrative. As Harvard historian Jill Lepore says in The Whites of their Eyes, the story opens at the moment when citizens forsook the Founding Fathers. Gradually Americans stopped being a nation of self-reliant, hard-working, freedom-loving patriots.
In the beginning, the story goes, they used their hard-won freedom from an oppressive foreign government to build America into a nation prizing individual initiative. So we grew into an economic titan and world power. But sadly, as years went by, rugged individualism began to suffer under the leaders of the land. An intrusive “big government” weakened the nation, devoured the people’s wealth, and threw Americans outside the Beltway into a vale of tears. If we don’t turn things around, and fast, they say, the story will have a tragic ending.
The Tea Party narrative is only the most recent edition of a story repeated with impressive message discipline over the past 30 years by the Republican Party. Individual tellings of the story may vary slightly, but all are based on the theme that, as President Reagan so memorably phrased it in 1981, “Government is not the solution to the problem; government is the problem.”
It’s the perfect culprit, this “government.” The abstraction is so shapeless and multifarious that almost any evil or idiocy can be pinned on it. And almost any pet proposal can shine with the reflected virtue of a hero who will confront it in battle. The simplicity of the story sticks in the mind — even in the minds of people who don’t believe it.
Democratic politicians have not come up with a competing narrative that would explain the importance of government — a story about why government is necessary for developing the kinds of things they believe will keep the country strong and healthy.
Enter Elizabeth Warren. The Massachusetts senatorial candidate has framed a simple, compelling story that Democrats can use as a common anchor for their ideas instead of just floating their individual liberal or progressive balloons around for Republicans to pop, one by one, as being beside the point (or proving it).
Warren told the story, which is becoming familiar around the country, in Seattle Friday night before a crowd of people with $40 tickets to a joint fundraiser with Sen. Maria Cantwell at the Paramount Theatre. The story begins in the Great Depression, Warren said, “a dark point in America's history,” a colossal bust in the boom-and-bust cycle that had caused panics, bank crashes, and the destruction of ordinary American lives and livelihoods every 15 years or so since the 1790s.
But then “America said we can do better,” Warren said. We instituted FDIC insurance, banking rules, and the SEC to enforce those rules. We also “invested in ourselves and built America’s middle class” by putting money into education K-through-grad school (“for every dollar we put in, we got five dollars back in taxes”) plus into infrastructure like highways, transit, a power grid, and “research, research, research.” Thus “our country got richer, and families got richer right along with us. It worked for more than half a century.”
Sadly, the story goes, about 30 years ago we lost our way. A deregulated financial industry and unfair taxation have “staggered America's middle class,” said Warren. “G.E., a profitable company with worldwide operations, pays zero taxes.” At the same time, we starve the infrastructure that our millionaires depended on for growing their enterprises, “and we tell young people ‘You’re going to have to take on debt to get an education.’ ”
Republicans rooted their story in patriotic American values of can-do, take-charge freedom and individualism. Warren roots hers in patriotic American values of can-do, take-charge working together and providing for the next generation. “How did we become a country that says ‘I got mine; you're on your own?’” she asked. Instead we should be saying, “’If you make it big, we'll celebrate, we love success. But you gotta invest a piece of that forward so the next kid can make it big, and the kid after that and the kid after that.' ”
Economists like Robert Reich have written similarly on the social impact of changes in economic policy. But I think Warren is the first politician who has drawn from the complexity a simple, compelling story that Democratic pols across the country can use as a way of anchoring their different local ideas and competing with the prevailing Republican narrative.
At a reception Friday night, I asked Warren how it feels to have done that. “It’s not about me,” she replied. “We’ve all got to say it, the same story in our different ways.”
Will other Democrats pick it up, though? Even if relentlessly repeated, a fresh narrative is unlikely to be the cause of a Democratic landslide in 2012. But the kind of message discipline that relentlessly repeats it decade after decade might win Democrats more elections 10-20-30 years down the road. Can they develop that kind of party discipline? Do they even want to?
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Comments:
Posted Mon, Dec 12, 10:14 a.m. Inappropriate
Thing is Obama had a similar story before he got into office. We can see how well that worked out. As far as it goes for Ms. Warren, she appears to have a better moral compass.
And what is hilarious to me is that the Karl Rove attack ads against her make the case that she belongs in Congress even more.
Posted Mon, Dec 12, 10:58 a.m. Inappropriate
Here is a little bit on Maria Cantwell's "Moral Compass".
http://www.soundpolitics.com/archives/007001.html
I wonder if any news organizations will sue to have the Dotzauer Divorce records unsealed Before the Campaign gets going for next year?
Posted Mon, Dec 12, 11:28 a.m. Inappropriate
I very much agree about 'government' as "the perfect culprit." It seems to me that what 'government' needs, more than just about anything, is a really big marketing budget. Government needs to remind us -- or tell us -- what it's done for us lately. Things like clean water (EPA) and safe food (FDA) and rural electrification (Tenn. Valley Authority) and lots, lots more. It needs to be done at every level. In central New York, where I live now, I'm glad to see my state and local tax dollars at work, clearing the roads of snow, so people can go to work and earn money. That's valuable, and we all need to be reminded of it.
Of course, if 'government' spent money on 'marketing', the masses would howl. "How dare they waste our hard earned dollars on advertising?!?" But just reminding people of all the good that the government does -- and I believe it does a lot -- would significantly change the national mood toward government services. And there are plenty of services that government offices provide that the intended recipients don't know about at all, so advertising and promoting them would get valuable services to those who need them.
To my mind, the only parts of the government that invest heavily in marketing are the armed services -- big ad campaigns, major NASCAR sponsorships, etc. -- and even though they represent massive parts of 'government' they don't suffer much from poor publicity.
Posted Mon, Dec 12, 12:59 p.m. Inappropriate
Judy,
Half truths always need the other half to make sense and get us anywhere. The half you leave out is that after resolving the Great Depression by expanding the world of consumers we've proceeded on to excess, exclusion, and the present Great Disruption. Having great faith in your skills, I eagerly await the result of your making sense of both halves.
You may be able to learn from all the criticism of Naomi Klein's earnest effort—she accepted the popular simplistic labels for the beasts. http://www.thenation.com/article/164497/capitalism-vs-climate
Posted Mon, Dec 12, 1:52 p.m. Inappropriate
Who, exactly, is saying this, other than the caricatures of businessmen common in the movies? The problem with Ms. Warren's "narrative" is that it equates more government with better government. Government should be vigorous, but also focused on those things it does well. Trying to expand government into the provider of everything to everyone will kill freedom and give us only the equality of common suffering.
Posted Mon, Dec 12, 2:23 p.m. Inappropriate
-dbreneman: If you want to understand what's wrong with government, go look at Bill Still from the Libertarians. He's got a fix on the monetary issue that is the over riding problem.
http://still2012.com/the-still-report-sr-33-address-to-the-libertarian-nation/
It also answers the question of how we ended up with "I got mine, you're on your own."
Posted Mon, Dec 12, 2:30 p.m. Inappropriate
On the "Dotzauer Divorce" the smoke looks like an affair between Mr. Dotzauer and Senator. Cantwell. Who gives a rip?
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2006/10/02/sound-politics-alleges-cantwell-other-woman-in-divorce/
http://andrews-dad.blogspot.com/2006/10/ron-dotzauer-lobbyist-slimeball.html
Politicians all seem to have trouble with their married lives. I don't care what they do in the bedroom. I care what they do to the rest of us in congress. And as far as I can tell Senator Cantwell has done well for Washington State.
As for Ms. Warren, no such smoking guns exist. Senator Brown on the other hand has already been "fully exposed." :>
Posted Mon, Dec 12, 2:41 p.m. Inappropriate
Excellent article, Judy. Thanks for your thoughtful insights.
Collin
Posted Tue, Dec 13, 7:09 a.m. Inappropriate
Who does give a rip? Gary P. doesn't seem to care that the Senator continues to this day to exchange staffers, and do business with Dotzauer. That Dotzauer's firm continues to win government contracts. That Cantwell loaned money to Dotzauer that "She isn't sure" was ever repaid..who can keep track of $50,000 these days anyway? Particularly while you are in jail for failure to pay child support.
Who cares if the Senator was named as a responsible party in the divorce and when it was discovered during an election, Dotzauer and the Snohomish County Courts moved immediately to seal the records to protect the candidate. Isn't it strange in the subsequent elections that no news organizations have sued to unseal those records to help the public understand the Senator's "Content of her character"
Dotzauer's firm also recently hosted a retreat for Patty Murrays staff at their corporate offices, for "free". Good Governance Gary P style? No thanks.
Posted Tue, Dec 13, 7:21 a.m. Inappropriate
Here are a few more "highlights" for Senator Cantwell's dating married men preferences. I guess once you establish a pattern of success, as she has with Dotzauer, it's hard to brak the habit.
http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2010/03/maria_cantwells_men_an_amateur.php
Posted Tue, Dec 13, 1:17 p.m. Inappropriate
When the good Senator starts sending risque photos, hiring escorts, AND scr*wing the public, then I'll care. Until then ALL politicians seem to have crumby personal lives. I don't vote for these people to have them over for dinner, I vote for them to do what's best for the state of WA. And I vote against worse candidates, so far the Republicans haven't fielded anyone worth bothering with in a Senate race.
Senator Cantwell got the Enron deal exposed and the Snohomish County PUD off the hook from a terrible power deal with them.
Oh, if you want to smear by Association, the Republicans are so covered in slime from this guy: Paul Singer, aka Vulture Capitalist.
http://www.gregpalast.com/romney-advisor-threatensbbc-investigative-reporter/#more-5419
Posted Tue, Dec 13, 1:55 p.m. Inappropriate
Really? The "everybody does it" defense? That's all the defenders of Cantwell can produce? Just what exactly has Cantwell "produced" for Washington State? And at what cost?
Posted Tue, Dec 13, 2:01 p.m. Inappropriate
You might want to look at the Dotzauer Connection to the Enron/Snohomish PUD settlement too.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2003242631_dotzauer04m.html
Try the fourth Paragraph down, it appears Cantwell gets along better with Dotzauers Second wife, particularly when she is an executive at the PUD.
Posted Tue, Dec 13, 2:59 p.m. Inappropriate
Co-signer: Cantwell.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/13/plan-b-kathleen-sebelius-morning-after-pill_n_1146217.html
Oh, and a campaign donor who is a scum bag via dating a Senator and his own divorce is the best you can come up with? I came up with a campaign donor who took millions of foreign aid money and let the people in the country die. Paul Singer is sooo much lower. Come-on Cameron, find me a Democratic donor of equal slime.
Posted Tue, Dec 13, 3:24 p.m. Inappropriate
Another dynamite article about a great political character. The only problem is that I will have to support Ms. Warren for president in 2016 instead of Ms. Lightfoot.
Posted Tue, Dec 13, 4:35 p.m. Inappropriate
Thank you, Morro, for bringing the comment thread back to Elizabeth Warren. Other readers may have opinions about Warren, her ideas, and the narrative she has created, which the party can really use.
Posted Tue, Dec 13, 4:50 p.m. Inappropriate
Re: Ms. Warren,
If she decides to run for President in 2016, I'd vote for her as well. However the fundamental problem which Senator Obama found as soon as he got in office is that Congress and the President don't control the money supply. The bankers do, that's why he had to appoint the banker's men to run Treasury, and a do nothing to run the Justice Dept.
Ms. Warren needs to take a page from the Libertarian's Bill Still and have the government take back control of the money supply, ie no more debt based money, instead issue Fiat based currency. Until that happens we are totally in for it.
Posted Tue, Dec 13, 10:07 p.m. Inappropriate
Nice to see that Ms. Lightfoot has no problem with Senator Cantwell's questionable behavior. Go ahead and vote for Warren, it's more of the same.
Posted Wed, Dec 14, 10 a.m. Inappropriate
"vote for Warren, it's more of the same."
Really? Ms. Warren dates married men? She loans money to former friends who then don't pay child support? Cameron, you need actual dirt if you want to paint Ms. Warren with the tar of campaign money, instead of slander by association.
If you really care about the money issue, get behind legislation which takes private and corporate money out of campaigning. Otherwise you can change the players but the song will stay the same.
Posted Wed, Dec 14, 4:18 p.m. Inappropriate
Glad you agree Warren will make no difference, she pals around and enjoys the support of our Junior Senator, who appears to have no moral compass.
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