Cross posted at
TexasKos
I have blogged a lot since I went online about "framing." In response to one of those blogs Muriel Stubbs wrote:
"All of this talk about "framing" and "reframing," about how to talk about what we want to talk about, reminds me of the TV commercial that shows a bunch of hikers, one of whom has just stepped into a pit of quicksand. As he slowly sinks, they stand around talking about how they, as a committee, can best go about saving him. They have a civilized discussion, raised hands and all, while the poor bastard sinks up to his nose. Finally, just as he's disappearing forever, one of the guys on the edge of the group throws a rope, which the sinker grabs. You see him next standing with wet mud/sand up to his eyebrows with the rest of the group ignoring him while they congratulate each other on their successful rescue--which none of them, save one, had anything to do with.
There is more below....
Give me that guy who threw the rope. He and two or three others like him--surely there must be that many--need to get busy saying all over the state what Murvin says in his post: The Repugs are trying to destroy the Texas public school system so they can install vouchers and privately-run Fundamentalist Jesus mills (Murvin didn't say that. I did.)and pay for them with our tax money. We already know to say that. When we've made that point, then we can figure out how to frame the next issue: how to pay for the public schools--if we can save them."
Houston Democrats: Progressives as their own worst enemies
Forget, the reference to schools, substitute any issue you like and while not agreeing with all her comments, I do agree with her conclusion: we must do stand for something, we must act upon those beliefs. Good frames cannot cover-up cluelessness or cowardice.I can't give anyone the backbone needed to live up to Muriel's righteously angry post, but I can give you the tools to start acting when you find that courage. You do not need to wait for a committee or for a party vote. You can start now.
I am today launching a series on a strategy of Grassroots , guerilla pushback I call: Civil Conversation. It is what we used to hold up as the model for how citizens discussed politics without degenerating into slobbering , shouting Neanderthals ( picture Hanratty or your favorite right wing bovinator ).
If you want the best short course on "framing" online, see here:
http://dogfight04.typepad.com/...
A regular source of great ideas about framing is here:
http://www.frameshopisopen.com/
Before I list for you the Democratic Dozen, Principles for Fighting Back, let me offer some observations.
First, they own the media, and they have created a Rightwing Noise Machine that threatens at every turn to drown out and ignore our messages, even if they are "well framed".
Second this means that when we engage in shouting matches, we tend to lose because the onlookers simple write us both off, if they are not already partisans of one camp or another. Given the present partisan divide, that means we tend to lose. Yes, I know that Bush and Congressional Republicans are unpopular, but so are Congressional Democrats, and the party still in minds of most Americans, stands for nothing they can put into 2 or 3 succinct sentences. You see my point.
Third, unlike certain bloggers, you can't be an expert on everything. Pick one thing you really care about and start reading and studying.
That being said, here are the Democratic Dozen:
- We must stand for something, not JUST against the Repubs.
- In communicating our message to the general public the 3 most important things to talk about are: values, values and values. The fourth most important things are factoids that rattle their cages.
- Symbols of America are as important as words. From the Statue of Liberty to the Lincoln Memorial to the American Bald Eagle, what you show can be as important as what you say. Use symbols to help convey your agenda more powerfully. [ from the Repug's playbook by Luntz ]
- Democrats must not be afraid of the "G" word (God), indeed the real message of the Gospel is one of compassion and brotherhood not fear and division and that is what we stand for....
- We must learn to effectively frame our message using our values.
- We must work on establishing the Democratic brand by publishing it, repeating it , teaching it , and doing these things over and over.
- We must challenge lazy and unfair media coverage with timely and effective responses and do so every time it happens.
- We must stop answering questions that are framed badly and start answering bad questions with counter questions.
- We must learn to engage in civil conversation and not let our message be sidetracked by Republican name calling and trash talk.
- We must agree with people whenever we can , challenging not their fixed ideas, but their conclusions about them.
- We must explain how the values we hold will positively impact the lives of the people in our community, directly and immediately.
- We must tell stories. ......
I will be blogging on each of these principles over the next couple of weeks.