Let's stop calling it the energy bill. Let's call it the Fossil Fuel Bill.
And let's stop calling him the President. Let's call him Mr. Bush.
And finally, let's stop calling him a 'weak leader'. Let's call him a weak executive.
There are three preconditions to framing:
1) There has to be a moment where the brand can be formed.
WHY THESE FRAMES WORK: So far, 'energy' bill isn't difficult to rebrand because it's so bland. It's an insider bill that has no outside frame of reference except a vague sense of secretiveness, and thus, it's eminently brandable. Mr. Bush is a polite and civil term, but it's also one that has been fighting with President for the last five years. Finally, weak executive is a much more powerful and visceral image - leaders lead. Even weak leaders lead. But weak executives are pathetic.
2) The frame has to be morally acceptable and emotionally true. The names have to speak to a basic truth, not a literal one, but one that activates the lizard brain.
WHY THESE FRAMES WORK: Fossil Fuel Bill is a fair name for the bill, and one that tells the story of what this bill does - it protects the industries and countries that extract fossil fuel. Mr. Bush is a morally acceptable term, and one that's emotionally true. Much of the country is not sure about the political legitimacy of this administration - we should nurse those doubts along. We must also push the idea of weakness and flacidity, thus weak executive instead of weak leader. When he forces Bolton through, it's because he can't lead. He must simply order people around and bully, which is weakness disguised as stubbornness.
3) The frame has to carry political implications that tell a larger story.
WHY THESE FRAMES WORK: The Fossil Fuel Bill is a fair description of the content of the bill, but also of the politics of it. It also fits into his other priorities, including transportation and foreign policy. By calling him Mr. Bush, we are calling for a change in political leadership. Mr. Bush did not call Gore Mr. Vice President in the debates very often - it was always polite, but he used the expression Mr. Gore. That was an act of saying 'This guy is not your leader - don't vote for him.' We need to say the same thing - 'This guy doesn't have a mandate - he lied to get elected, so he shouldn't be able to govern.' Thus Mr. Bush. Finally, 'weak executive' speaks to his method of using power. He's not acting as a President in a constitutional republican, he's acting as a weak, lazy, and autocratic executive in a badly managed company. That's what we have to say.
Framing is not easy. It requires discline - let's show the folks in DC what that means.