How the Democrats and Progressives Can Win: Solutions from George Lakoff

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Summary: Framing a New Progressive Agenda
Review: George Lakoff has broken interesting new ground at the Rockridge Institute. The linguistics professor at the University California at Berkeley has led the movement in helping shape a new progressive political agenda after conceding that conservatives had achieved a big lead in the important realm of establishing message as a means of prevailing in ongoing debate.

Lakoff explains at the beginning of this informative DVD how Louis Powell, shortly before being appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court by President Richard Nixon in 1970, launched the movement to establish an effort to seize the political agenda in American for conservatives. Some 43 think tanks were created in the better than three decades since Powell launched his effort. Progressives found it difficult to match the level of financial expenditures of conservatives assisted by corporate largesse, but are now in a position to claw their way back into the game and ultimately win.

The area where Lakoff contends that the major momentum was established in promoting the conservative political agenda resides generally in the message field and specifically through framing issues by the shrewd and repetitious use of language. A strong case in point was Bush's first move after assuming the presidency. On day one of Bush's term he sought to reward the corporate donors who had provided him with the chance to win the presidency, which ultimately occurred not through the ballot box but by a one vote Supreme Court majority, by advocating what he called "tax relief."

Lakoff explains that the word "tax" has a negative connotation to Americans, but by creating a positive metaphor such as "tax relief" a negative is converted to a positive. The term conjures up a doctor providing just the right medication for a patient to feel better. Burdens are diminished through relief.

Another area where Lakoff credits conservatives with gaining a rhetorical advantage is by using the term "abortion" repeatedly. Opponents are seen as involved with killing whereas, with different framing, by referring to a woman's reproductive rights or stressing a woman's "right to choose" the concept of individual liberty is envisioned rather than a negative connotation. He points out that, while conservatives extol a "pro life" agenda they fail to follow through in vital areas such as pre-natal care and guaranteed health care for children. Progressives can make their case, however, only by rephrasing the labels conservatives seek to apply to a political issue.

The environment is an area where Lakoff cites a shrewd effort by conservatives to use positive language to frame a negative position that, with proper citizen reflection, he feels will redound in the favor of progressives and against Bush and his right wing adherents. Bush repeatedly refers to his clear skies initiative, which he sought as a substitute for the Clean Air Act passed and extended by Congress for decades. The Bush measure allows corporations to buy credits from each other for the legal permission to pollute. Lakoff states that it is a losing proposition to accept the term of clear skies advanced by conservatives in debate.

A positive brought about through framing needs to be reversed by calling Bush's concept a dirty skies proposal, which conjures up a negative image. To George Lakoff success is all in the framing through which the progressive presentation is made.

The terms conservatives employ in seeking acceptance for proposals must be challenged by immediately invoking alternative terms. If the conservative uses a negative term in attempting to paint the progressive into a corner the progressive must then respond by invoking a positive term. The same applies concerning a positive term that to liberals embodies a negative program. Lakoff advocates reversing the terminology in favor of the progressive position.

Lakoff is optimistic about the ability of progressives to prevail as long as a winning game plan is followed, that of taking control of the agenda through framing issues in the proper winning verbal context. The right words connote the right images, putting citizens in the mood to embrace the progressive agenda.

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Summary: The Way for Progressives to be Politically Effective and Win
Review: This DVD captures George Lakoff's entire point of view in an extraordinarily concise and powerful way. The editing is tight and the accompanying support graphics help make his thoughts even clearer. For all progressives who wonder why the right has been so successful at framing their "conservative" agenda and winning so many elections in the last 12 years here is your answer. The DVD gives the progressive movement the linguistic tools to communicate our values and vision more effectively than ever before. This DVD is a great gift to anyone who seeks to make this a better world. Buy it and pass it around. It is something really positive to do.