Know Your Values and Frame the Debate--The Essential Guide for Progressives

A friend writes:

"Please... everyone who wants to learn how to argue progressive

issues so as to be competitive with the powerful right wing wave

in this country right now... PLEASE read this book (thin, quick

read, inexpensive and life-changing):



**Don't Think of an Elephant**

Know Your Values and Frame the Debate--The Essential Guide for Progressives

by George Lakoff"

Lakoff wrote a terrific article in the Sept 03 issue of The American Prospect, along with one by Deborah Tannen--together they were that issue's cover stories under the banner "How Republicans Hijack Language"; Lakoff's piece was called "Framing the Dems--How conservatives control political debate and how progressives can take it back." We sure did followed that advice, didn't we? Well, maybe we progressives did, but our candidate, not being a progressive anymore, probably felt the advice also no longer applied.

Tannen's article was "Let Them Eat Words--Lingustic lessons from Frank Lutz", the evil who was profiled on the last Frontline. He's the one responsible for Clear Skies, Partial Birth Abortion, etc.

Here's an excerpt: "How many would get all worked up about an exceedingly rare abortion procedure (that the Alan Guttmacher Institute estimated represents less than one-fifth of 1 percent of all abortions performed in the United States in 2000)? But attach the name "partial-birth abortion" and a second-trimester fetus becomes a half-born baby. Legislation to outlaw the vaguely described medical procedure then becomes another success in chipping away at constitutionally protected abortion rights -- as well as a wedge issue to defeat Democratic candidates. According to an insider in Al Gore's 2000 Tennessee campaign, the vice president's opposition to this legislation was one of the factors that turned many Tennesseans against their home-state candidate.

Who among us wants to call ourselves anti-life? Win the name game and you're more than halfway toward winning the battle. Win enough naming battles and you're on your way to winning the war."

And one more:

"The cynicism in Luntz's advice is astonishingly explicit. On the subject of the gender gap, for example, he informed Republican members of Congress that they could woo women with words (no need for troublesome deeds). While acknowledging that women (like the caller to the radio talk show) care about education, he cautions against trying to back up promises with actual programs:

I begin with the premise that we must do no harm. That is, we should not undermine our growing strength among working-class white men (1994 set a modern-day record) in our efforts to reach out and communicate to women. I refuse to advocate an educational strategy that leads to a net loss of votes just to win over a few women and silence a few media critics. It would be unwise and foolish. ...

I do not subscribe to the notion that we must change our substance or create a separate women's agenda. Listening to women and adapting a new language and a more friendly style will itself be rewarded if executed effectively and with discipline.

These excerpts come from a document that Luntz circulated to Republican members of Congress in 1997 titled "The Language of the 21st Century." The section that came to my attention was "Addressing the Gender Gap," but it provides a blueprint reflected in Republicans' rhetoric in other areas as well. Luntz's advice boils down to this: Forget action. Improve your image by revising the way you talk. Let them eat words."

The articles are still available online at their website
Lakoff: http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewPrint&articleId=6862
Tannen: http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewPrint&articleId=6861

None of us are naive about the dastardly neocons, but this was scary stuff. And we saw it played out daily over the last 4 years. The articles were real eye-openers for me, and everyone I referred to them. Sounds like this book may be an expansion of his article. Must reads, all.