Reich, Robert (2005) Story time NEW REPUBLIC, 4/4, 16-19.

Successful presidential contenders generally follow four themes that help them win elections. They are:

THE TRIUMPHANT INDIVIDUAL: Through hard work and sacrifice, individuals can fix problems in their personal life and in the larger world. Think Rocky Balboa, Norma Rae, and Erin Brockovich.

THE BENEVOLENT COMMUNITY: Neighbors and friends roll up their sleeves and help solve problems if they have the right leader. As an example, visualize the New England town hall or frontier society.

THE MOB AT THE GATES: There are people out there that want to destroy our way of life. We must be constantly vigilante. They are communists, Nazis or terrorists.

THE ROT AT THE TOP: We could get our problems fixed a lot faster if it weren’t the enemy at the top. They are rotten and evil. They could be rich tycoons or the cultural elite.

My fellow Americans, my opponent represents all that is bad in those 4 themes above.

The master storytellers of our time are FDR, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. George Bush did a much better job telling this story than John Kerry.