Second Half of Don't Think of an Elephant

I remember when I first read the "From Theory to Action" half of Don't Think of an Elephant, I felt a little bitter toward Lakoff because it seemed that he just assumed that everyone besides himself was an idiot who needed to be enlightened. I felt he was especially shedding this impression on progressives. But looking over it again, I see the validity in his "back to basics" approach. I like how he lays out what conservatives believe and how they present it. It is good to be sure of your opposing side's viewpoints. I'm sure there are plenty of conservatives that aren't even sure of what it is they stand for, and this is a good thing to know. Laying out what progressives think also was a necessary move as well. I think he could have coated his descriptions with a little less of a biased attitude, but hey, he can do what he wants. It's his book. No one's forced to read it. Well, almost no one.
The frequently asked questions part seemed rudimentary at first, and I kind of disregarded its value. But thinking about it again, those are real questions that real people are wondering about. Not everyone knows what strategic initiative is. I know I didn't before we started going over these issues. But it is a major component of the overall scheme of politics.
The whole "how to respond to conservatives" section reminded me of a guide book for a womens' self defense class. I think his aim was greater than merely "and step one is STAND UP FOR YOUR VALUES!" and more about reinforcing things that people already know but may or may not be conscious of the actual effect of these actions. Addressing the fundamentals reminds a person of his or her reasons for being where they are, and strengthens and sharpens their mindsets. Heck, it's even a bit motivational. I can almost picture Lakoff in a cheerleading uniform shouting B-E_A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E! I'm going to stop picturing that now.