Tobin Harshaw reviewed two books (New York Times Book Review, July 23, 2006) that prescribe remedies for the Democratic party, which seems to be floundering and unable to decide just what to do. One of the books, Whose Freedom?: The Battle Over America's Most Important Idea by George Lakoff seemed the most interesting. He proposes that right-wing conservatives have a very different definition of freedom than progressives and liberals and that makes dialog difficult. He uses a metaphor to describe the difference: progressive thought "stems from the 'nurturant parent family' model (based on 'empathy and responsibility), while the conservative outlook is shaped by the 'strict father family' model (in which the 'moral authority. . . of the father must not be seriously challenged')."
Interesting metaphor.
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