Counterpoint Frame: Shiavo - Sheehan

i know this has been mentioned here before - possibly diaried and mentioned in open threads but for people who write LTEs or the congresspeople or who email the media or for Pete's sake are interviewed, they will probably get a lot of traction with:

"Bush flew to DC in the middle of the night to sign legislation on Terri Shiavo.

He can't go four miles down the road and talk to Cindy?"

The Shiavo issue is a baaaad one for the Republicans and the more we bring it up the better for us - 80% of Americans felt the same way about it.

The juxtaposition is a goldmine. Bush can address the 'issue' of a single american but not one where the single America is conscious and can disagree with him.

The frame is a simple and emotional one. Tom Tomorrow on AAR said the reason that Cindy is getting through is the emotionality of the issue - it's not factual. It speaks to the heart and in a simple way. Draw the parallel about the president/shiavo and president/sheehan and you will win hearts and the minds will follow.

Forgive the possible repetitiveness of this diary.

•  BushCo's culture of life.......

  to this observer also seems quite selective. It appears that his concern is higher for the microscopic unborn, and the  comatose who are  kept "alive" with respirators and feeding tubes, than for those who are alive, but differ with them on the issues before us.

  GW's callous disregard of the requests of a Gold Star Mom (who is quite alive) to have a chat, mirrors his disregard for many of the disadvantaged, and elderly in our society.  

  BushCo. has been wrong about Schaivo, wrong about Social Security, wrong about Stem Cell Research, wrong about the Supreme Court, wrong about John Bolton, wrong about the War on Terror, and now wrong about Cindy Sheehan.  Powerful talking points indeed for Dem candidates in the 06 elections.  Paul Hackett showed us the way to go in these races.  Hit them with this stuff over and over again.

  by keepinon on Thu Aug 18, 2005 at 06:08:40 AM PDT