Every so often, I hear some Dem talking about how people should vote for Kerry because he is smart and erudite while Bush is an idiot. While I don't think Bush is on par with a Nobel Laurelate, Bush is cagey and shrewd and could still pull off a victory. No, not by cheating as some on the Left claim, but because he knows how to connect with people emotionally in ways that the Dems can't.
Kevin Featherly argues in his blog that Democrats have consistently misunderstood Bush and that is a fatal mistake. Featherly notes that what gets voters are not policy positions, but who can tug at the heartstrings:
"After all, it isn't the meat of what is said--certainly not the policy statements--that will determine who prevails. Presidential debates don't matter at that level. It's all about who can resonate best with voters at an emotional level.[emphasis mine.] Maybe that's likeability, or maybe, as Fallows says of Kerry, it's demonstrating possession of "an interesting mind." But it's not about who has got the best tax policy.
This is why Ronald Reagan won two terms. The Democrats percieved Reagan as a dolt, but he was able to resonate with the American voter. Case in point: a few months ago, I heard former Vice Presidential candidate, Geraldine Ferraro talk about the 1984 campaign. She was talking with some autoworkers and asked angrily why these workers were willing to vote for Reagan who was against them policy-wise. An autoworker, responded saying, "He makes us feel good." There was a loud clucking of tounges in the audience. Ferraro and the Dems missed out on the factor that connecting to people's hearts is just as important than any policy position. Perhaps the only Democrat in recent memory who knew how to connect emotionally with voters was Bill Clinton.
I remember one of the 1992 debates that was held in Richmond, Virginia. A woman asked how the deficit was affecting them. The elder Bush didn't understand the woman, but Clinton seemed to and started to connect not only with that woman, but with the nation. Meanwhile, the elder Bush was starting at his watch as if he was very bored.
The Democrats need to pay heed to this. Simply saying Kerry is smart is not going to put him in the White House. Bush knows how to connect . He did that perfectly after 9/11 and he could still do that.
Kerry and the Dems could very well pull this off- if they learn to engage with the voters and don't act so smug.
Posted by Dennis at August 17, 2004 12:45 PM