Stem Cell Frame: We turned the tables

Ever since "Don't Think of an Elephant" was published, it would seem the Democrats have been on a Quixotic adventure searching in vain for the right issue to turn the tables on the Republicans.  One where we define the frame and the MSM gobbles it up, and then we repeat it endlessly, the MSM repeats it more, and even to the point where our opponents get confused and buy our frame.  We've been on the opposite side of such frames for far too long.

Enter: stem cell research

FRAME: Republicans are against stem cell research and therefore against potential cures of a whole host of diseases and disabilities that Americans face.

Believe me, for the Republicans who are paying attention, this frame is driving them crazy.  Here's Kathryn Lopez (K-Lo) comments from the Corner...

Will this ever stick? The Republican party is not against stem-cell research. Jim Talent, President Bush, Rick Santorum, have been against the federal funding of embryo-destroying research. That is one type of stem-cell research.

Emphasis added by K-Lo.  (yes it is kinda shrill)

As you can see, she's absolutely right.  The frame is wrong.  Republicans aren't against stem cell research.  They aren't even against all public funding of stem cell research.  They are only against federal funding of embryo stem cell research, a more narrow band of what we're talking about here.

Boo hoo hoo!  Are we going to weep for the Republicans?  Of course not!  Don't be ridiculous.  They have done this to us in what seems like a million times.

Perfect parallel...

Republicans say all Democrats are against wiretapping to catch terrorists.  Nice frame, MSM has bought it hook, line and sinker, but it's freaking wrong!  We are against wiretapping without the proper warrant from the FISA court.  We are against illegal wiretapping.  Democrats want to catch the bad guys as much as the Republicans, and we don't feel that the FISA court is any kind of serious burden on wiretapping as they have been approving 99.99% of warrants over the last 30 years.

So it was sure nice seeing Republicans foisted on their own petard this time around.

•  Anyone catch any other good Dem Frames?

  Put 'em in the comments.  I'd love to hear about them.

  by rustydude on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 11:38:12 PM PDT

•  The Republicans are for torture!

  And we should let no one forget it.

  by Immigrant Punk on Thu Nov 09, 2006 at 12:16:33 AM PDT

•  hoisted

  by lorenzodow on Thu Nov 09, 2006 at 03:07:07 AM PDT

•  correction: hoist

  by lorenzodow on Thu Nov 09, 2006 at 03:08:12 AM PDT

•  from Hamlet

     There's letters seal'd: and my two schoolfellows,
     Whom I will trust as I will adders fang'd,
     They bear the mandate; they must sweep my way
     And marshal me to knavery. Let it work;
     For 'tis the sport to have the enginer
     Hoist with his own petar; and 't shall go hard
     But I will delve one yard below their mines
     And blow them at the moon: O, 'tis most sweet,
     When in one line two crafts directly meet.

  by lorenzodow on Thu Nov 09, 2006 at 03:09:54 AM PDT

•  Oops

  With the Internets I should have been able to find out the correct spelling of the phrase.  Thx

  by rustydude on Thu Nov 09, 2006 at 06:50:07 AM PDT