A Must Read for Democrats

I went bookshopping Friday at Quail Ridge Book Store in Raleigh. This privately and local owned bookstore has a great collection for readers of all types of books. I highly recommend those of you in the Triangle check this place out.

While shopping for my July reading, I came across a book that every Democrat should read. Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate--The Essential Guide for Progressives, is written by University of California at Berkley Linguistics professor George Lakoff. This book provides key insight into message delivery and the "framing" of political issues.

In this masterpiece of political communication theory, Lakoff describes how conservatives and Republicans have been successful at setting the message agenda at all levels of government, forcing Democrats to compete on enemy turf by adopting the rhetoric of our opponents. The author also lays out the history behind the conservative's unifying of messages to suit all coalitions and how progressives have failed to taylor their message to provide a cohesive voting bloc.

This great little book is 115 pages and can be purchased at Quail Ridge for $10.00. I gurantee this book is the best $10.00 you will spend on any political literature and hope that all Democratic candidates, operatives, and activists will read before the fall campaign heats up.

I finished it in one day and will carry it with me to refresh myself upon its guiding principles. I would encourage all to attend the discussion on this book at Quail Ridge Book Store on July 16, 2006 at 3:00 p.m. I will include a link below for y'all to view. You can also purchase your copy by clicking on this link.

http://quailridgebooks.booksense.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp?s=storeevents&eventId=325653