The Party Of Hope

Kevin Drum, talking about authoritarianism:

[Fear] makes people who only have a little authoritarianism share the preferences of those who have a lot. Appeals to fear move even moderates toward the authoritarian end of the scale. Fear is the conservative's friend, never the liberal's.

Yet some Democrats still advocate adopting the Republican talking points by saying we will do the same things they do only better. This is a self-defeating strategy. Once you validate the "Live In Fear" mantra, the electorate will gravitate towards the Republicans even if it was Democrats who awoke the fear within them.

Democrats have to be the party of Hope. Leave Fear to the Republicans. They are just better at it.