Book Excerpts
Dems have lost too many big elections by failing to score points in the political red zone — the area on the field where the thorniest social issues are in play. Related primarily to morality and race, those issues tend to generate the greatest division within the American electorate. It is in debates over social issues that voters‘ perceptions of each other are most apparent, and where prejudices can be the most easily manipulated ... I think most of us cast ballots based largely on how we view other people.
- Chapter 1, The Red Zone
Republicans know that controlling the media is about controlling the image of their candidates and their party. With all of their friends in the image-conscious entertainment industry, you‘d think Democrats would be a lot savvier about how the media portrays them and how they portray themselves. Democrats need to appreciate the dynamics at work in the media parade of "haves" and "ares" before the "have lesses" and "are not as muches." The sense of being culturally excluded and looked down upon by liberals is something I‘ve heard echoed time and time again by callers to right-wing talk radio programs.
- Chapter 6, ‘Liberal’ Like Us
Sexual freedom is one of those liberal concepts that has boomeranged on Democrats and helped Republicans gain voters‘ trust. Most of the debates about morality in America seem to center on sex and sexuality ... Meanwhile, the proliferation of sexual imagery plays into the Republicans‘ political profiling of Democrats.
- Chapter 8, The Pop Culture Factor
In my opinion, pro-choice proponents left the door wide open for the anti-choice movement to tear at the foundation of Roe v. Wade because pro-choicers didn‘t communicate their vision of abortion rights effectively from the top down after Roe was decided. The uncompromising stance of pro-choice activists also seems to have contributed to the Democratic Party‘s losses in recent presidential elections.
- Chapter 10, Abortion: a Victim Is Born
I don‘t think most voters know all the ins and outs of the immigration issue; all we know is that our government seems to think we should underwrite the expenses of illegal immigrants, an idea we reject wholeheartedly. Yet Democrats seem too afraid of being labeled intolerant if they take a stand in favor of taxpayers. What I would tell them is that most people don‘t believe that being against illegal immigration makes someone a jerk.
- Chapter 15, Immigration and Outsourcing: Them and Us
I can think of several reasons for the success of the conservative media. First, its creators tapped into public frustration with the perception that political correctness had run amok in both American culture and the media. All conservative media producers had to do was take that perception, run with it and place it in the service of a Republican power grab. Secondly, conservative programming is ideally paced for this generation of busy consumers, who have hundreds of listening and viewing options at their fingertips and limited time on their hands.
- Chapter 16, The People and the Press: Mutual Distrust Society
