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How Democrats & Progressives Can Win: George Lakoff (Original Post) 3128 Sep 2012 OP
Thanks for posting, I have never heard him speak Lifelong Protester Sep 2012 #1
He's been around the party since 2004, that I know of. nt patrice Sep 2012 #3
Had been retained by Dem party some years ago, elleng Sep 2012 #5
Thanks elleng, nenagh Sep 2012 #8
Which means that the appropriate response to "Make my day" & the cut-his-throat gesture is to patrice Sep 2012 #2
Exactly. Take the high road. jwirr Sep 2012 #4
Actually no and yes. Bernardo de La Paz Sep 2012 #7
Great post, Bernardo La Paz Lifelong Protester Sep 2012 #10
His points are excellent, must-do, pay attention. But video is from 2008 and the website is dead. Bernardo de La Paz Sep 2012 #6
Right, Dems ignored him, elleng Sep 2012 #9
Good stuff. Quantess Sep 2012 #11
Great video and some great replies. Thanks to all. K&R. Scuba Sep 2012 #12

Lifelong Protester

(8,421 posts)
1. Thanks for posting, I have never heard him speak
Sat Sep 1, 2012, 01:53 PM
Sep 2012

Anyone know if this prof is on board? Has he been hired or consulted by the Dems?

elleng

(130,156 posts)
5. Had been retained by Dem party some years ago,
Sat Sep 1, 2012, 02:23 PM
Sep 2012

gave 'lessons' about how to 'talk,' 'frame,' etc. Dems ignored him. REALLY pissed me off.

nenagh

(1,925 posts)
8. Thanks elleng,
Sat Sep 1, 2012, 03:44 PM
Sep 2012

That was my impression... that Dems didn't seem to take Lakoff seriously... meanwhile often using Repuke framing...

1994 or 6 Newt Gingrich wrote: Language: A Key Mechanism of Control.. propaganda.. but it shaped the thinking of many Repukes..

This is a great post... thanks..

patrice

(47,992 posts)
2. Which means that the appropriate response to "Make my day" & the cut-his-throat gesture is to
Sat Sep 1, 2012, 01:56 PM
Sep 2012

NOT refer to them at all - AND - instead constructing specific metaphors that are the opposite of vigilante "gun-justice" and the opposite of killing-those-we-oppose.

Bernardo de La Paz

(48,789 posts)
7. Actually no and yes.
Sat Sep 1, 2012, 02:49 PM
Sep 2012

Yes to positive metaphors.

But you can mention negative imagery if you tie it to the opposition. Thus you don't say "we aren't the party of throat-cutters". You say "The Republicans showcase violence like throat cutting at their convention". It's not high road versus low road; it's calling a scoundrel a scoundrel, "reality therapy". Too much high road, pure and clean looks weak and meek.

It's the same way Republicans mention "taxes". They call themselves the "tax relievers" and call us the "tax-and-spenders". The antidote is call them the "borrow-and-spend" party, and call us the "job creators", the "builders of infrastructure", the "educators for our future", etc.

Turn their phrasing around. So where they call themselves "tax cutters", say the "Republicans will cut the middle class to shreds" or "in ribbons" or "to pieces". That way when voters start to hear "cut" they start to feel they are being cut by Republicans. Say things like "The Republicans would make the middle class die by a thousand cuts."

"War on women" is a successful meme, especially when it is tied to the party as in "Republican war on women". It's negative, it's not high-roading, and it's not meek to bring the battle to the Republicans by making voters associate belligerent, violent, destructive imagery with them. They've been doing it to the Democratic Party for decades, because it is effective. We need to be even more effective.

You are right about terms like "gun-justice". That frames the debate as "guns = justice", which is nuts of course. So, taking the cue from Lakoff, talk about "relief from gun violence" and "peace and safety".

The modern world is more visual than ever. So bring it to the Republicans visually, audibly, and verbally by framing our policies and successes with positives visually, audibly, and verbally and framing their policies and failures with negatives visually, audibly, and verbally.

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