Ever since Rep.Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D- NY) and her colleagues launched the Green New Deal resolution, the GOP has been betting they can scare the American electorate with new fears of evil government control. Their method is to shout some version of “Freedom or Socialism? That is the question for 2020!” But this GOP “freedom” […]
Search Results for: ideal American story
GOTV Plus: Revisiting How to frame it “American” Now
How to frame it “American” Now
What “#(Americans)StepUp _______” Can Do Right Now
Readers who follow me on Twitter and The Metaphor Project’s FB page may have noticed that as 2018 began, I started using the hashtag “#AmericansStepUp_______” or variants of it. (1) With it I identify news and frames about people, communities, or states countering DC folly with positive projects at home. The most recent example is […]
Two American Dreams: Poison or Power?
As the 2016 presidential campaign heats up now, we’ll hear a lot more about “the American dream.” But there are two “American Dreams,” very different from each other, and each with a shadow side. To survive today’s toxic politics and make progress, we Americans must understand both the poison in these two dreams and the […]
American Metaphor Categories
The Metaphor Project’s list of enduring American Metaphor Categories contains a number of important themes found in the American cultural story. The American cultural story (think ‘personality’) is a mixture of our ideal vision, ideal national character and pieces drawn from our actual historical experience. This list is not meant to be all-inclusive, definitive, confined […]
American Story Elements
The Metaphor Project’s list of enduring American Story Elements contains a number of important themes found in the American cultural story, which is a mixture of our ideals, our idealized national character (think ‘identity’) and items drawn from our actual historical experience. This list is not meant to be all-inclusive, definitive, or even confined to […]
The American Framing Steps
Nutshell Version STEP 1. Be clear about who your specific audience is. Spell it out in detail for yourself. STEP 2. Think about how your audience sees your issue now. If possible, ask them questions directly or do polling. Listen carefully to see what phrases, images, or metaphors they use. STEP 3. Consider how your […]
What is American Political Framing?
American Political Framing or ‘Speaking American’ is a specific Metaphor Project technique. It refers to framing liberal and progressive messages in a broadly accessible way at the values, ‘big idea’ level. It also means using familiar language found in everyday American political communication to evoke the best American values‚ the ones we ourselves share. For example, if […]
How to “Speak American” When You GOTV
Recent rash remarks and extreme ideas from the Romney/Ryan team have altered the political landscape. Before all that, polls had shown there were few undecided voters left. Now that’s not such a sure thing. There’s a new spotlight on character, on our shared ideals of American public morality, and on what kind of future we […]