If you are like me (and the odds are 89.5 to 1 that you are) you have heard this line seventy Brazilian times since you stated paying attention to messages or talking points on issues. “The right wing does a much better job than the left when it comes to messaging.” Amiright or amiright? Then the person talking (sometimes you) will say, “You know what we need? A Frank Luntz on our side, someone who can come up with stuff like “death panels” or “Job Creators” and then get everyone to repeat them. Next someone who reads books will shout, ‘Lakoff!! Frames! Don’t Think of an Elephant!” as if Lakoff, his books and his defunct institute is any match for the fully-funded, focus-group-tested, linguistically robust messaging work conservatives do. And don’t get me started on the multi-million dollar right wing infrastructure of belief tanks and media. (Seriously, don’t get me started, I’m really pissed off about it and I can pontificate and whine about it for hours.)

But here’s the thing, we do have a Frank Luntz on the left, and she does great messaging work for us. Her name is Anat Shenker-Osorio and her new book is “Don’t Buy It. The Trouble With Talking Nonsense About the Economy.”

Occupy may not have reached “critical mass” yet. It may not be that movement that can force the White House and Congress to change “national policy on matters of war and social justice.” But, if energy and resources are put into running candidates, it’s virtually certain there will be little chance of growing a movement and building a force that can tug this nation in a less corporate and destructive direction.

Various “progressive voices” that agree or sympathize with GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul’s positions on wars, foreign policy and civil liberties have spoken in favor of the possible impact Paul could have on debate in this country during the 2012 Election. Those individuals have been quickly met with fervent disapproval from liberals who have reflexively suggested that any comments that could be considered supportive of Paul essentially mean one is “endorsing” Paul, urging people to support someone who opposes reproductive rights for women, arguing there are only marginal differences between Paul and President Barack Obama and that Paul just might be their secret political hero.

Branding is not everything in politics, it is important.

Someone should tell the President that if he wants to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits before defense spending, he’s not in any position to be giving advice to progressives.

Will you take time to go visit the office of your member of Congress or Senator tomorrow, and remind them that the American people overwhelmingly oppose cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits, and that you will will not support them in 2012 if they take part in doing that?

It’s possible to give two very different interpretations of the Obama presidency so far. The first is a relatively positive interpretation. Proponents of this view argue that even though Obama has faced a united GOP willing and able to use filibusters to thwart initiatives, and even though he has had opposition within his own party to progressive initiatives, he has still managed to rack up an impressive list of achievements. Take health care as an example. The health care legislation wasn’t all that progressives wanted, not by a long shot. But the legislation is an impressive start and, importantly, it leaves the door open to further change. Though people forget, programs such as Social Security or Medicare weren’t perfect at first, but were improved substantially over time.

“After the November 2004 Presidential election I was deeply disturbed that America had put the Bush Administration back in office. I began to feel a call to enter the public debate on spirituality and morals more explicitly as a Preacher of Liberal Religion.”

A chat about inside/outside electoral strategy and reality. This, and the full hour of GRITtv: Hillary and the RFK flap, Iraqi insurgency “Meeting Resistance”, Dr. Dahlia Wasfi, and Stop The Clash of Civilizations from Avaaz.org