Don't Think of an Elephant! is the definitive handbook for understanding what happened in the 2004 election and communicating effectively about key issues facing America today. Author George Lakoff has become a key advisor to the Democratic party, helping them develop their message and frame the political debate.
In this book Lakoff explains how conservatives think, and how to counter their arguments. He outlines in detail the traditional American values that progressives hold, but are often unable to articulate. Lakoff also breaks down the ways in which conservatives have framed the issues, and provides examples of how progressives can reframe the debate.
Lakoff's years of research and work with environmental and political leaders have been distilled into this essential guide, which shows progressives how to think in terms of values instead of programs, and why people vote their values and identities, often against their best interests.
Don't Think of An Elephant! is the antidote to the last forty years of conservative strategizing and the right wing's stranglehold on political dialogue in the United States.
Read it, take action--and help take America back.
How Democrats and Progressives Can Win (DVD) features a lively interview with George Lakoff, television news clips, and illustrative graphics, this is a must-see media tool for everyone who wants to better understand and communicate the progressive agenda. Includes "How to Debate a Conservative," "Know Your Values," and much more. Each DVD includes a summary card of key points. Produced by Educate the Base, LLC.
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—Arianna Huffington, syndicated columnist and author of Fanatics & Fools: the Game Plan For Winning Back America
"It's not enough that we have reason on our side. We also have to use words and images powerful enough to persuade others. Lakoff offers crucial lessons in how to counter right-wing demagoguery. Essential reading in this neo-Orwellian age of Bush-speak."
—Robert Reich, Maurice Hexter Professor of Social and Economic Policy, Brandeis University, and author of Reason: Why Liberals Will Win the Battle for America
"Don't let anyone tell you that the words don't make a difference; they can evoke the best and the worst in us. Read this book and be part of transforming our political dialogue to support our highest ideals and speak to the hearts of Americans."
—Wes Boyd and Joan Blades, MoveOn.org
"Don’t Think of an Elephant! is a work of genius. As George Lakoff explains how the right has framed the notion of the political center, he presents both the most original and the most practical analysis of United States politics in many years."
—George Akerlof, University of California, Berkeley, and Nobel Prize winner in Economics
"Progressives have a lot to learn about persuading swing voters to our cause, and there's no better teacher than George Lakoff. This readable text couldn't be more timely; it should be read widely and put to work before November!"
—Daniel Ellsberg
"Are you tired of explaining to reporters why they shouldn't call Bush's clear-cut extravaganza ‘healthy forests’? Does it bother you that the power plants upwind from your community will keep on poisoning you with mercury in the name of ‘clear skies’? Do you wonder what ‘family value’ is advanced by shifting the cost of cleaning up toxic waste from polluters to victims?
"If you want to take back our country, you have to take back your community. If you want to take back your community, you need to take back the debate. This book, and the video that go with it, are your essential tools. What the Bush Administration has done for obfuscation, George Lakoff's work does for clarification."
—Carl Pope, Sierra Club
"George Lakoff’s Don’t Think of an Elephant! is a wonderful example of what happens when you combine a linguist’s ear for the subtleties of language with an understanding of the complexities of modern politics and a commitment to progressive ideals. Whether you think of yourself as a liberal, a progressive, or simply someone with an interest in how political language works, this is a must-read."
—Geoffrey Nunberg, Stanford University
"I learned a lot from Lakoff. You will too."
—George Soros
"This is a pocket manifesto for those who still wonder how a small group of rich, powerful oligarchs tied together the shoelaces of the progressive movement. Read it once, and know why we are losing. Read it twice, and we can restore sanity to the world."
-Paul Hawken
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