(cross posted at steviemo.com)
I will get to Lou Dobbs and Archie Bunker after the intro. But first, there have been many discussions about "framing" – the context or premise one uses to frame a given issue in order to support their own argument. The classic example, of course, would be the GOP use of the term "death tax" to make the case for abolishing the inheritance tax. Or the fighting the "War on Terror" to characterize the US occupation of Iraq.
This is another such discussion.
It’s no secret that while the right wing excels in this area, our side is horrible when it comes to framing anything.
Consider this recent Congressional Quarterly / New York Times piece...
From CQ Today: Anti-War Votes in House Feed Democrats’ Base
Republicans also contend that Democrats are putting some of their own moderate or conservative incumbents at risk.
"Certainly this plays well to the Democratic base and to the radical anti-war left," said Ken Spain, a National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman.
Or this Time article on the Democratic debate...
Democrats Take to a Crowded Stage
Congressman Dennis Kucinich tried to secure the hearts — if not the support — of the party's anti-war left, calling for Vice President Cheney's impeachment...
Now, based on every available poll, we all know that a majority of Americans want us out of Iraq, and want us out sooner rather than later. But I am sick and tired of hearing people on our side trip all over themselves trying to point this out. We must do a much better job of framing this!
So, let me help all you Democratic senators and congressmen and presidential candidates who like to go on TV – only to get clobbered with the same old GOP spin and talking points. The next time someone says "anti-war left", you must immediately correct them and deliver our new sound byte, "Anti-War Majority".
Say it with me – "Anti-War Majority".
Be proactive! Don’t wait for someone to say "anti-war left"...
"The Anti-War Majority in this country supports a timetable for withdrawal."
I want to hear about the Anti-War Majority every time I turn on Hardball! I want to hear it on every Sunday morning talk show. Every press conference! Anti-War Majority. It should just roll off the tongue.
We can do this!
(While researching this piece, I stumbled across an Anti-War Majority website.)
No good segue, then, into a discussion of Lou Dobbs and Archie Bunker other than to present a way to frame the very name of Lou Dobbs.
I don’t know about you, but this guy drives me nuts! I will preface this by suggesting immigration is a complicated issue. Having said that, it is not my intent to start yet another discussion on immigration. After all, that topic has "already been diaried". But it has gotten to the point with Lou Dobbs that every time he says the word "Amnesty!" it is like fingernails on a chalkboard. He reminds me of Archie Bunker.
Why Archie Bunker? Because Archie was kind of your Joe Average guy with a lot of opinions based on limited knowledge - which is fine since he wasn't claiming to be a journalist. Lou has a way of presenting as fact that which is not exactly fact. Here's Lou from Sunday night's 60 Minutes piece...
I can tell you this. If we reported it, it’s a fact
Lou states as fact that Hugo Chavez is a dictator. Anyone with any knowledge of Chavez would consider that a matter of opinion since he was democratically elected and reelected. Lou states as fact that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. Yes, they are enriching uranium - supposedly for peaceful purposes. Or, maybe they're building a bomb - we simply don't know. But Lou seems perfectly willing to trust the word of the Bush administration.
So, from now on, whenever people hear the name, Lou Dobbs, I want them to think of Archie Bunker! Any of you reading this can start using it in your everyday conversation or in any of your blog posts. I'm sure you are all familiar with the GOP's guilt-by-association tactic of saying things like...
"The Democrat Party is on the side of Michael Moore and the MoveOn crowd."
Well, our side can be equally effective...
"The Republic Party is on the side of Lou Dobbs and all these Archie Bunker types who like to spew hate (blah, blah, blah)".
Again, it's all about framing.
I hope you've enjoyed this here little diary. I know I did. I hope our side gets much better at framing our arguments and learning the art of the sound byte. I invite you to leave a comment with your own framing ideas - maybe an idea about how we can get the mainstream media to abolish its use, without attribution, of the Bush-Cheney-Rove propaganda term, the "War on Terror".
And if, like me, you would like to see Lou Dobb’s and Archie Bunker’s names together on the Rec List for a few hours, perhaps you will consider pushing the button.