Water works
Sara Robinson writes at David Neiwert's Orcinus an interesting piece on messaging in Red States. She starts with a note from Dave:
I simply don't believe that progressives will win rural districts by selling out their core values. I believe a lot of it has to do with framing those values in a way that rural people can identify with.
We've spent most of the past 14 months in rural districts1 and we've some thoughts on the subject also.
Water is an issue. Drought relief is an issue. The RNC hasn't done very well on drought relief, and economically irrational draw-downs of Upper Mississipi tributary impoundments, from the Missouri south to the Canada, to float Upper Mississippi barge traffic, have killed hydro-electric and irrigation in the Northern Plains.
Since we know that running on inside-the-beltway issues -- choice, peace, and so on, our view, "the correct view", isn't competitive, why bother? Why not run on water? Why not run on draught? Yes, it is Climate Change, Al's issue, but what farm, what ranch, between the Mississippi and the Cascades and Sierras, will be saved by burning western coal? They can stomach our godless communism, or sell off everything down to the homestead trees and go where ever the Hoover/Bush economy takes the dried out.
We won't know unless we try, if bread and butter trumps Rove's script in the national kabuki theater. And we can level with them, if they won't save themselves, we can afford to let them fail.
1MI-01, MI-02, MI-04, NC-11, KY-02, IA-01, IA-02, IA-04, WI-07, MN-01, SD-AL, NE-03, WY-AL, CO-01
Comments
You will get no argument from me about the utility of water as an issue. I grew up on a Paiute/Shoshone rez in the Eastern Sierra. Dad was a teacher. Mom was the county water commissioner -- the one who finally made the City of LA file honest reports on how much they were pumping and what it was doing to the local ecology and economy for the first time in 75 years.
One of the points I've been hitting hard is the importance of making clear connections between leaders, their policies, and what is happening to people on a personal level. As you note: with global warming advancing, water is a prime opportunity to be making these connections throughout the rural West. "You voted for A because he was against abortion. Now he's making water policy that's selling out your water and helping dry up your range. Here's how he voted. Here's how much it's hurt your yield. Is that OK with you?"
Gotta bring it home, in clear terms they understand -- and, as Dave said, put it in language that's aimed at their values. If we don't start doing this everywhere, we're not going to win anywhere.
Posted by: Mrs. Robinson | September 5, 2006 01:39 AM