Democrats argue with facts. Republicans argue with values. Guess who wins?

Damn straight I’m not a Democrat.

If you’re progressive, that line makes your back stiffen, right? You get all defensive, and then you don’t hear anything else.

If you’re conservative, it’s the exact opposite. You hear “No way I’m an F’n republican” and that’s all she wrote. No more listening. Nothing’s going to get through.

It’s mostly because we don’t hear facts. We don’t listen for facts. We listen for sound bites that jibe with what we believe. And we ignore anything that doesn’t fit in with our values. (George Lakoff calls this “framing.”)

It’s kind of like buying a car. There’s no real difference between Toyotas and Hondas, right? But we’ve always bought Hondas, so we buy another Honda, and then look for good Honda reviews, and only remember the bad Toyota reviews.

So why do we need yet another place to read about Democrats vs Republicans?

Aren’t we inundated with stuff from our social feeds, the news, TV, our friends, at work, and everywhere else where people with half an idea feel the need to spout off about their opinions?

Why can’t people just shut up, mind their own business, and let the folks in charge run things? On the other hand, with things so out of control, why aren’t more people angry enough to rise up and make their voices heard?

Now, I’m not going to hide my feelings here. I lean toward the left, but lots of my friends lean both ways when it comes to politics and the values we cherish about our country.

Everyday people talking about values

The thing is, I don’t think there’s a place out there that’s focused on everyday folks (unlike places that cater to politicians, wanna-be leaders, and other activist-types) and how we’re see things differently based on our values. Not just based on topics or policies or how the other side is completely ass-backwards. But our core values, and how they influence how we see the world.

Democrats keep saying there’s a message issue — they don’t have a cohesive, value-based message. Well, let’s figure out what the message should be, whether it’s traditionally Democrat or common-sense Republican. And write it in common-sense language. (There’s a reason this article isn’t written in more esoteric terms or with an eye toward the already converted. It’s meant to be actionable, not just discussed.)

Let’s see where our common ground is

In the end, what I hope will come out of this is a better understanding of who we all are, why we see things the way we do, and what we hope the country and the world will be like for our kids.

For my part, you’ll get some perspective on values from the progressive side of things. I’m hoping to hear the same thing from conservatives and other progressives as well. And then, maybe we’ll all see how much we really have in common, find some politicians who think the same way we do, and get government working for us again.

Is it touchy-feely, let’s talk about our feelings type of stuff? Maybe. But it’s touchy-feely stuff about the direction of our country and the core values we hold dear. Let’s get all of our thoughts out, by (hopefully) talking to each other and listening, in a civil and open-minded way. Maybe it’ll work, maybe not. I’m not sure if this series will eventually morph into a blog or just random postings, or whatever. But it seems like it’s well past time to figure this thing out.