Clip Art and Job Creation

Well reasoned arguments, albeit thoroughly effective and on target, have overlooked the reasons Republicans are still gaining ground as they advance their agenda of command and control over state and national agendas.

Here's an analysis of why the GOP message still gains traction. (I am deliberately analyzing why and offering a counter strategy.)

Let's begin with what we know. Make no mistake, clip art doesn’t create jobs. The phony pdf the Republicans posted as a jobs plan was insulting. But spite of anger and the incredulity of laughter, Republicans have a counter narrative that has taken hold: that their opposition is too lazy to work, too dependent on government handouts to support themselves and wants the government to pick up the costs for personal services in health, education, and women's rights--to redistribute wealth and shut down free markets to save trees, thereby hurting those who really want to work.

That's the real narrative embedded in the GOP clip art. The art itself is a signal to the Republican base that government is unable to produce anything of value, is filled with funny people putting out meaningless reports, and manned by clowns who think they make a difference, but are sucking the tax payer dry.

This embedded narrative, now so conditioned that it doesn't have to be repeated by the GOP, didn't work on Medicare, one of the few programs whose revenues are large enough to match the size of tax cuts the GOP so eagerly seek for the top one percent and the nation's corporations. It didn't work because seniors saw themselves as having earned the right to Medicare by paying into it over the course of their working lives. For them, it's not a give away. The fear factor didn't scare them into backing down, nor did the promise of protecting their benefits but denying benefits to those born only a few years behind.

But outside of Medicare, despite not offering a plan to create jobs, the phony proposal actually worked for the GOP base. It reminded them, from their view, that government is more feel good and pie than results and facts. The Republicans have been very successful in circling the wagons around this belief, which also relieves them of the need to legislate. By blaming government, they offer the only solution their position allows, tax cuts. Add in a comprehensive states strategy flying under the national radar—ask yourself how so many carbon copies of the same bills against women's and workers' rights, education, the environment, and bills to privatize state functions and enhance executive power by fiat without oversight got introduced and passed in the first 100 days of states' legislative sessions?

The mission of the Democrats must be to break the fallacies of this circle of logic and belief, and to challenge the Republican power grabs. They must break the hall of mirrors.

Oklahma Oil Worker, 1930s

Remember, the GOP will twist trends to incite the fear that is the shock wave of every other policy discussion. If you are an economist, elected official, or columnist who is calm and sees no inflation, currency collapse, or believes jobs are a priority over deficits and debts, and suggests our 14.5 trillion dollar economy with record corporate profits can handle job stimulus without tax cuts, why you must be hiding something or lulling others to drop their vigilant guard, for doom is near. Romney describes it as being only “an inch” away. As Romney cries "failed," the Republican proposal in the Ryan plan is filled not with deficit reduction, but give aways. The budget retreat is filled with spoils financed by give aways.

It appears the only successful path for Democrats is to use the dynamics of the medicare model:
defend the investments in clean air; recreate Doug Wilder's Virginia's governor's campaign in which he framed his opponent as being dead against women's rights; confront the GOP positions on immigration; stand by union leadership and small businesses in a coordinated strategy that delivers more wallop than a photo-op.

For jobs, take note and add Atlanta's strategy of asking each business to add one person, either full or part-time. Start a jobs clock. In other words, rather than debating logic and facts, which the Democrats have in abundance on their side, but are not tracking, attack by setting concrete goals. Tangible targets are the way to beat clip art. Tangible results are hard to spin. Win the day one job
at a time.

Pay checks beat mirages.