This is sad, really - Slate - "Facts Don't Win Arguments...Emotions Do"

[ProfessorPlum]

1. this is well known in psychological fields

there is a great book called "The Righteous Mind" by Jonathan Haidt which describes this phenomenon. How we make decisions with our emotions and then use our intellect to justify them. It's a cool book, and an excellent primer into the minds of our conservative brethren and what makes them tick.

But Democrats, if they actually want to win elections and have political power, need to start speaking in these languages of emotions. It's why Elizabeth Warren is so effective - she couches the wealth gap and deceptive banking practices with emotional language that makes sense to the average voter. Even for conservatives, fairness and care for others matter. We just need to couch our policies in more populist (ie emotionally relevant) ways.