[Dialogue] "One never know, do one?"

[Bill Schlesinger]

Jim said, "Nevertheless, Bush is over extended.  Public opinion is shifting
against him some.  But the faithful are still cheering him on.  What we need
is to find equally skillful ways to counteract his demagoguery and encourage
thougtful dissent."

FWIW those who would counteract the current focus on individualism,
self-protection and 'traditional social values' have no consistent image
pulling them together beyond opposition.  There are those who focus on the
social compact of mutual responsibility, those who focus on their personal
reluctance to be part of the military and security costs, and those who want
more individual freedom in social choices than they see in the
administration.  Those are the primary focus groups I see.  Their own
internal opposition becomes clear when Jim Wallis is followed by the NOW
folk who argue against his vision as well as the conservative evangelicals.

This dis-array of alternative consensus models leaves the still-cohesive
stream supporting the administration with its strength intact.  There may be
some internal frictions (specifically around Gonzales and immigration), but
those are relatively minor in the face of the lack of an alternative
consensus.

We need to rebuild common images -- and that's even hard on this listserve.

Bill Schlesinger
Project Vida
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