This is PRICELESS

[ParrotHead]

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-guru9jul09,0,3671214.story?coll=la-home-center

So everything us Republicans have known for years and have been trying to tell you democrats has now been proven.....and proven by one of the democrats own.

Seems the democrats hired a professor, Dr. Drew Westen as their latest advisor and what has the good professor come up with? Democrats should try and appeal to people's emotions, rather than bogging them down with data and facts. EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS KNOWN - Democrats play to emotions rather than real data or facts!!!!

From the article, it sounds like Professor Westen is telling democrats that their constituents are idiots and he is telling democrats to appeal to constituents' emotions because "it doesn't make sense to argue an issue using facts and figures".

There you have it - one of their own telling the world that democrats can't comprehend data, facts or figures - just tell them something that makes them feel all warm and fuzzy....

[Guest Jersey_Girl_Hunts]

I do not fault Dems for attempting to address certain problems, because Libertarians and Republicans attempt to address the same issues. But you are spot-on with the emotional appeal angle. We, the People, cannot be trusted to understand simple economics, so we have to be made to sympathize instead of rationalize a solution.

An argument composed entirely of anecdote and appeal to emotion is one poorly fought. One reason I find politics so difficult to debate is that figures and well-researched and well-understood facts are often left out in Popular fora. This leaves us with debate driven by the heat of emotion, rather than cool logical and rational thought viewed from multiple angles by all parties.

Argument by Anecdote and Emotional Appeal is how we end up with so many ridiculous socialist policies. I am not against helping my fellow citizens by any means, but passing more laws designed to throw more money at our problems (because most appeals to emotion come down to one thing, basically: We Have No Money! Give Us Money And We Will Be Able To Solve Our Problems!) is a top-down solution driven by hard-luck stories. I prefer a fact and figure (and hard work) driven bottom up approach to the ills the Democratic platform is addressing.

Alas, I fear intellect is dying in America. Anecdote is all people understand because it is all that they are given...

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

...Alas, I fear intellect is dying in America...

How long before someone asks what "fora" means?

Seriously though, I think you're giving too much credit to the motivations of the current crop of Democrat/Liberal leaders. All appearances point to the acquisition and retention of political power, regardless of benefit or damage to the nation, as being their primary goal.

[Guest Jersey_Girl_Hunts]

How long before someone asks what "fora" means?

Seriously though, I think you're giving too much credit to the motivations of the current crop of Democrat/Liberal leaders. All appearances point to the acquisition and retention of political power, regardless of benefit or damage to the nation, as being their primary goal.

"Fora" versus "Forums" is a subject of debate. Forums is used colloquially and is therefore widely accepted, but Fora is the proper plural. I am guessing you already knew that; I write for the edification of others who may not know it.

I am not doubting that the Dems want to gain and maintain political control for its own sake. I think that both political parties would like to do that, and remake the nation in their image. Perish the thought.