When someone begins a post with "The problem with the Democrats is..."

[Qutzupalotl]

18. I disagree. Framing does not mean lying.

While it is true the Republicans excel at messaging and framing and do it through lies and half-truths, that does not mean the methods are suspect.

Framing is defining an issue in favorable terms to your side. To be effective, framing and messaging should rely on facts — otherwise they will be dismissed or dismantled. Although Republicans are able to make lies spread using these methods successfully, this is largely due to media ownership, repetition, and willingness of many in media to lie for a cause. Democrats self-police their messages far more than Republicans, so they cannot use deception for long. Since we are at a disadvantage in the media landscape, we have to stay above board. But that does not mean we must abandon framing and messaging. I think our survival depends on mastering these tools and using them ethically to tell the truth and win.

George Lakoff has excellent instructions on how to do this. Unfortunately, he is unwilling to step down as a professor to be our Frank Luntz (but without all the lying). So it is up to us to learn.