Coyote Dems say Ain't
Over at Kung Fu Monkey John Rogers writes a long blog entery on saying ain't and how Dems should learn to do it. "Saying Ain't" isn't about being dumber, but a lot of people took it that way. Saying ain't is really about connecting to people, something that GWB does really well, John Kerry did poorly, Dino Rossi did very well up here and ended up surprising the hell out of everyone.
My bigger point, leaving all the fancy policy stuff to the wonks who delight in them, is that the art of politics is convincing people to connect with you. When you have an idea, and the other guy has an idea -- if you don't connect in some primal way with the listeners your idea is never even going to get considered, no matter how much better it is on a rational level. In theory, "We're sending guys to fight in Iraq without body armor or properly equipped Humvees and then cutting taxes on rich folk" is literally the worst idea I could come up with to play in a mill town, unless that sentence ended with "... and then, your sons kiss each other." And yet the RR (Radical Right) gets a pass on this. Why? because as soon as guys like John Kerry (and God bless 'em, Al Franken and Janeane Garofolo) open their mouths, all the audience hears is "snobby snob snob think you're so smart!"
This is what Kari means when he says that Western Dems and Coyote Dems are really all about the cultural difference. The best word I can come up with is authentic. Western Dems have this, Schweitzer certainly has this.
Emmett O'Connell | May 5, 2005 | Comment on This Post (4 so far) |
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Comments
Actually, I think this is faux-working-class talk, and it sounds sneaky and ridiculous coming out of the mouths of rich political candidates of all political bents, whether democrat or republican. What we need is some class consciousness around here!
Posted by: Sarah Egolf | May 5, 2005 7:04:40 PM
I certainly think that politicians should be comfortable with how they normally think. They shouldn't be compelled to use differing words or accents just to try to please their audience. That's not leadership. Leadership is quite the opposite!
But I agree. I'm all for Schweitzer running 2012! or even 2008 if his relative political inexperience won't kill him.
Posted by: Xavier | May 6, 2005 1:11:41 AM
"Political inexperience"? He's had as many tough statewide campaigns as John Kerry had before running for President: 2.
Not that JK is a model. As Mike Dukakis always says when asked about presidential politics, "Don't ask me. If I had all the answers, I would have become president."
Posted by: Kari Chisholm | May 6, 2005 1:46:43 AM
Faux-working-class-talk? Do we prefer real standoffishness? Saying ain't is not a big deal. I use the term ain't. It really is a great word. And, in some cases, it is even the appropriate contraction ("am not") though it has become widely frowned upon. Y'all is also great.
I'm also a "soda" guy, rather than "pop." That puts me in the distinct minority in Montana. After traveling for a bit, though, I just thought "pop" sounded silly.
Posted by: Matt Singer | May 6, 2005 4:23:00 PM
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(and yes, we know that sometimes they're very, very wrong. Other times, they're right on.)
