It occurred to me the other night that one thing that the Bush people have done really well is to appeal to the lowest common denominator by working Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs from the bottom up. See, it's like a pyramid with a broad base and a narrow top, that leads from the most basic physiological needs like food, shelter and clothing, up through safety and security issues, feelings of belonging, etc., until you ultimately reach self-actualization or even trancendence.

It really seems like the Repubican Party does a good job of answering "what's in it for me?" and the Democrats lose a lot of people with all the talk of saving the environment from global warming, providing safety through strategic disarmament, and raising taxes to balance the budget and provide better services.

I suppose all politicians have tried to make people feel like they're going to have more money, and the economy is going to get better, and they'll protect us from terrorists, and keep the criminals off the street, and we're the best rah-rah-rah, and God Bless Us All. But gosh he's good at it. Or Karl Rove is.

And gosh darn it, "a chicken in every pot," just isn't good enough.

posted by Chris at 5:46 PM Permalink