Two Unlikely Democrat Ladies Fighting Back

Two progressive Democrats have joined the rank of party leaders.  Where people with their academic and professional backgrounds usually remain in the audience happy enough to remain silent these two ladies are setting records in speaking out with sharp responses to right-wing focus group tested words and phases.  Democratic clubs and  district organizations are lining up for speakers and interesting programs,** these two experienced and dynamic speakers are answering the call joining another successful presenter of Democrat values, Andrea Witte. 
(www.ConnectTheDotsUSA.com) (The People's Budget)  (Deficits and Debts, Oh My!)

** JO M. HOLT,  PhD, worked as an academic research scientist for 25 years, retiring in 2007 as Research Assistant Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Jo lives in Oro Valley, is DOV’s Outreach Coordinator and an appointed Precinct Committee Person.

**HOLLACE LYON, retired out of the Pentagon as a U.S. Air Force Colonel managing communications budgets and Air Force training and education. She also worked as a Government IT management specialist. Holly lives in SaddleBrooke and chairs the Saddle-Brooke Democratic Club and is an elected Precinct Committee Person

FRAMING OUR VALUES

Over the last four decades, the American political scene has been heavily influenced by conservative think tanks that are spread throughout the country.  Billions of dollars have been spent to analyze and frame issues and legislation, and the conservative think tanks dominate the media.  Progressive spokespeople are starting to fight back with facts and figures destroying this heavily financed propaganda machinery.

Hollace Lyon, chair of the SaddleBrooke Democratic Club, and Jo M. Holt, DOV's Outreach Coordinator, presented their program "Return to Morality: Framing Progressive Values", about how Democrats can take back the political conversation, based largely on the work of George Lakoff, professor of Cognitive Linguistics at UC Berkeley.

In the August DOV meeting they presented some ideas about how Democrats can take back the political conversation using Professor Lakoff's main argument that, in the face of this torrent of conservative spin, Democrats must re-frame the issue based on liberal values.  Very importantly he supports using MORAL values to take back the American middle ground of the political argument.  Liberal values are traditional American values and Democrats should promote them and be proud of them!

EXAMPLE:   Framing with Democratic Values
{It is important that you see what the spin doctors can do.}

Conservative Frame:  The free market drives the economy.

Step 1.  Indentify the conservative agenda.
To increase wealth for the already wealthy by making a moral argument:  The wealth are wealthy because they are superior.
Step 2.  Make a moral liberal argument.
Our economy is driven by consumers and small business working together, with the protection  and support we need from our government.
Step 3.  Get specific about the issue.
Our economy is built on an enormous foundation of infrastructure, cooperation, and American work ethic.  Without these contributions from people, there is no "free market."
Step 4.  Call out the conservative agenda.
Republicans are using "free market" as an excuse for giving tax cuts to the wealthy.  This is a ruse used to justify cuts to environmental protection and to the real driver of our economy, the middle class.

When discussing taxes, never use the term "tax relief",  when what you really mean is "tax dodger", "tax avoidance",  "tax favors" or "tax shift".

Democrats of Oro Valley has not only social functions but includes educational and informational sessions.  To learn more about the work and activities check out www.demsov.org.

Press Release, August 20, 2011, Flagstaff, Arizona
State Democratic Chairman, Andrei Cherny announced at the State Democratic Party meeting held in Flagstaff the appointment of DOV Executive Board Member Harvey Akeson as his Liaison for Congressional District 8 in Southern Arizona.  Akeson will work with the Democrat organizations in the District for the State Chairman as a coordinator of direct communications between Cherny and CD 8 Democrats. 

The Democrats of Oro Valley to present "Is the Rosemont Mine worth it?" The featured speaker will be Gayle Hartmann, archaeologist and archaeological editor at the Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona. 

She served on the Pima County Planning and Zoning Commission and was a member of the Steering Committee of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. She has been a resident of Tucson for 43 years. 

The Democrats of Oro Valley Monthly Meeting Monday, September 12 , 2011

The event is scheduled at the Oro Valley Library in the large meeting room. The library is located at the corner of La Canada and Naranja Drive. The meeting is open to the public at no cost and begins at 7:00 PM.