Snobbus Maximus

This was supposed to be a post based on a Nexis search for George Lakoff, the UC Berkeley linguistics prof the Dems are leaning on as they search for a new message. (hat tip Rush)

But in reviewing the 134 hits generated, I stumbled onto the guy most in need of a new message if the Dems are going to survive: Neal "Snobbus Maximus" Starkman, writing a column called "The S Factor" Wednesday in the Seattle Post Intelligencer. "S" stands for "stupid," which is what Starkman is, if he thinks it's bright to put stuff like this in print. Maybe he is a mole, deliberately setting out to destroy the Dems. You decide:

The S factor -- short for the Stupid factor -- describes people who don't understand cause and effect, can't handle more than two sides of an issue and don't seek out multiple sources of information. It was my contention that, although the S factor applies to people across the political spectrum, it went a long way to explaining the apparent popularity of President Bush in the face of facts that indicated he was neither competent nor virtuous. ...

We've been conditioned to think that if only we could lay down the facts as we know them and make cogent, logical arguments, others would at least understand us, paving the way to some sort of consensus. But it doesn't always work that way. Millions of people respond exclusively to simple solutions for complex problems, think non-linearly and would rather someone else do the hard work of being "the issues guy." For these Americans, it's more important to feel than to think.

That might work well in church or therapy, but it's dysfunctional in the practical world. And it's a partial answer to why Bush garnered so many votes: Can you argue facts or logic with people who still believe that Saddam Hussein masterminded 9/11? [Do you know a single person who believes this? Or has even heard someone support the view?] Can you argue facts or logic with people who still believe that Bush has made us safer? [As opposed to people who think Clinton made us safer?] And can you argue facts or logic with people who believe that handshakes -- or smiles, or haircuts or wives' offhand comments -- trump policies? ...

The real battle ahead of us isn't Democrat versus Republican, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal or even church versus state. It's much more basic than that: The real battle is people who reason versus people who don't.

Note to Dems: Please put Starkman in charge of the DNC communications department.