tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5771862485599906834.post3993172449822967111..comments2015-03-23T10:58:39.758-07:00Comments on Our Sacred Honor: Rhetoric and Reasoning: Why the Republican Party has accepted opposition vocabularyEvan Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390693156246051710noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5771862485599906834.post-27240391817556785652014-02-13T22:32:20.445-08:002014-02-13T22:32:20.445-08:00Hard, granted. I never meant to imply that it wasn...Hard, granted. I never meant to imply that it wasn't a difficult task. In fact, it just might prove to be impossible - but every great change in politics, faith, and social values has come when it seemed impossible. I totally agree that the current media culture is centered on soundbites and stereotypes - which could be the subject of a completely new post. <br /><br />What I would say is that change within the party cannot come from the top down - the establishment of the party will never accept new rhetoric - they know how to "oppose" and they will never change. However, through grassroots efforts, there may be a chance to shift public thinking and help people to see the flaws of such soundbites and misrepresentations. Take the pro-life movement for example - it has taken a long time, but there is finally starting to be a strong base of support for pro-life legislation in the United States - and even in California. A lot of that is due to careful and consistent grassroots efforts by the rank and file in the Republican Party. Quick and Easy? Never! Our last chance? Quite possibly. Evan Gillespiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16390693156246051710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5771862485599906834.post-15123849242371041622014-02-12T16:08:15.345-08:002014-02-12T16:08:15.345-08:00The questions that I would like to ask: will such ...The questions that I would like to ask: will such a strategy work in a polarized sound-bite society, that is also hyper-sensualized? Even if the Republicans try to articulate their positions, where do you propose they do such a thing, through what venue: campaigns, TV ads, schools, town hall meetings? <br /><br /> Assuming that the GOP begins articulating their ideas, will the people by responsive and open to such a proposal? Due to the polarization of society, the conservatives tend to be very defensive (due to them losing the cultural war) which tends to be construed as being "opposed to progress". While the "liberals" on the other hand have the mentality of "since we are in power, we must be right". This is especially evident in California, where the "old-style" liberals like Jerry Brown, is open to compromise and was able to balance the budget. While the "new" liberals tend to be opposed to compromise and force their agenda onto society, just because they have the power.<br /><br />I agree that being more articulate in values is necessary, for both parties, but it seems like it will be hard to accomplish in our current society. The venue through which this will take place also needs some consideration, as most if not all the current venues used by the parties are not conducive to an "educational campaign" like you seem to be proposing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com