Should psychoanalysts get involved in politics? I'm not talking about APsaA politics but the national, state, and local campaigns that affect the fate of our communities and our country. Decades ago this was a matter of some contention, but for most of us the question is settled. Yes, analysts, like other citizens, can and should attend to the political process. And sometimes we may have special insights to offer. What is Campaign 2008? It is an effort by APsaA to provide you with a range of resources and events regarding the upcoming political campaigns. A new feature on our Web site will give members some practical know-how on how to influence politicians and political campaigns. For the general public, we will highlight political issues that particularly concern us. And we have planned some special events for the campaign season ahead.
Before I go further—APsaA does not endorse any specific candidates or any specific political party. Whomever you may support, and whatever issues you are concerned about, it helps to know how to maximize your impact.
Any psychoanalyst who follows politics—listening to candidates' speeches, reading reporters' stories, talking to friends in the business—must have been struck, as I have been, by the pervasive, almost naïve lack of awareness of the deeper currents of human motivation in most political discourse. I believe we can contribute mightily to the public debate over vital issues by adding some analytic perspective, encouraging people to look beneath the obvious and consider deeper issues of affect, motive, conviction, political arrogance, and more.
Two special events will be the highlights of Campaign 2008. Honorary member Drew Westen, author of the recent book, The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation, has agreed to speak at a special Presidential Symposium at the Winter 2008 Meeting. His topic is “Clinical Work Writ Large: The 2008 Presidential Campaign.” Westen's book has been hailed by the political community as a breakthrough book. Journalist Robert Kuttner wrote, “The Political Brain is the most illuminating book on contemporary American politics I've ever read. By explaining how voters actually process information, Drew Westen lays bare the connection between political technique [and] political conviction.” Though Westen is unabashedly partisan—a committed Democrat—his insights and interweaving of neuroscience, psychology, and politics go beyond any partisan position.
We are working on lining up an equally exciting speaker on politics for a second Presidential Symposium for the 97th Annual Meeting which will be held in Atlanta next June.
During Campaign 2008, we will launch APsaA's new advocacy manual, an invaluable resource enabling societies and members to do all sorts of political work this year and in campaigns to come.
Although there are innumerable issues analysts can speak out about, we have identified two for special focus in Campaign 2008: privacy (where our own Committee on Government Relations and federal legislative advocate have had so much success) and children's mental health. In the Members section of the APsaA Web site, when you go to the Campaign 2008 section, you will find talking points and sample letters regarding these issues. We also give you a general template for a political letter on any topic. There will be small but vital tips for getting active; for example, in this day of anthrax spiked envelopes, e-mail, faxes, and phone calls are the best ways to contact candidates, elected officials, and their staffers. According to our D.C. advocate, Jim Pyles, “The best approach is to establish a contact with the relevant staff person and then e-mail or fax him or her your concerns. There is nothing like a call from a constituent to get an elected official's attention. Contributions are also important, but personal contacts with strong examples of the problem are most effective.”
Other features on the Campaign 2008 section of the Web site will include:
A synopsis of Lynne Moritz's invaluable guide to involvement in state level politics
A quick way for you to find out who is running for office in your district
Selected excerpts from APsaA's advocacy manual, as well as the manual in its entirety for those who want more information
Sample questions to ask during the Q and A session at a fundraiser or a town hall meeting
Links to other valuable sites such as the Wall Street Journal's “Campaign 2008” online feature
And just for fun—great moments in politics and psychoanalysis, like details of Hillary Clinton's involvement with the psychoanalytic community in New Haven in the early 1970s
A reading list for the psychoanalyst political junkie
The public site of our Web page will introduce Campaign 2008, and explain why psychoanalysts are interested in politics and public issues as well as our work with patients in our private offices. The focal issues of Campaign 2008 will be featured and talking points and other resources provided. We will also highlight APsaA's other position statements on issues central to the current political discourse, including gay marriage and adoption and veterans' mental health.
Prudence Gourguechon, M.D., is president-elect of the American Psychoanalytic Association and a lifelong political junkie.