As I write, the 2012 home stretch is still a few months away. There’s still time to get beyond our own disastrous Democratic/liberal/progressive “groupthink/groupspeak.” What is “groupspeak?” It’s the verbal equivalent of what Professor Haidt has described as “motivated reasoning,” preconceived ideas that get draped in rationalizations and then expressed in tired old words or […]
Let’s All Say “Cards on the Table,” Again!
Business and personal cards, that is. Once again, the word “disclose” is in the air. A federal appeals court recently ruled that big spending political groups must disclose their donors, despite Federal Election Commission fudging on the issue.(1) New light is also being focused on the much ignored second part of the Supreme Court’s naïve […]
Reframing Climate Change Now
Two big things have happened recently on the climate change front. The first, of course, is Peter Gleick’s great personal sacrifice—his desperate gamble taken to expose the Heartland Institute’s planned assault on climate science in our schools, funded by the Kochs and other fossil fuel interests.(1) The second big thing is coming from the kids […]
Re Iran: Say ‘Think Outside the Box!’
Despite some positive recent reports, the struggle with Iran could still spin out of control. That could destroy every bit of progressive gain we in the U.S. made this year, to say nothing of other, even more horrible outcomes. Even if signs from all parties, the Iranians, the U.S., the Israelis, and others, strongly suggest […]
Speaking to America’s Broken Heart
Right now the national argument about progressive framing seems entirely focused on what story President Obama or the Democrats should be telling. But we could all do a lot better when we tell our stories. One way to start is by paying more attention to the fact that the American heart really is broken right […]
Use the ‘One Big Family’ Frame!
Right now the news looks grim: Republican hostage taking in state capitals, federal shutdown narrowly averted, bombing in Libya at taxpayer expense, continued economic pain for many Americans. But public resistance is growing. To keep that going, we need to get our own narrative right and create smart language to spread it. But there’s a […]
American Dream or American Sword?
The March 4 deadline to get our nation funded or shut down is coming fast. The battle over our future is at a fever pitch now. What kind of a country do we want in 4, 8, or 10 years? The decisions our legislators make by the 4th and after will set our course for […]
Framing “Our American Budget”
Word is that Congress will receive President Obama’s budget in early February. But it’s already in trouble, given the Rights’ latest hostage game—stopping U.S. default-prevention, unless they get their cuts. How can progressives help to counter this? The first step is framing the problem in a way Americans can get. To begin with, “the federal” budget […]
Framing the Right’s Nuclear Gamble
I recently received a handwritten, signed, gold-embossed, heavy cream note card from my congressional representative, after I had sent him a preprinted postcard urging support for reducing nuclear weapons. He suggested I write to Senator Kyl, the Republican Whip, since Kyl is the one promoting more delay in ratifying the new START Treaty. Of course, […]
Countering the Right’s “American” Con
Although the Right claims their recent win justifies downsizing government etc., etc., everyone now knows they just plan to stop Obama. Anything else they said is just a big con. But it’s an “American” con. We progressives need to understand this much better over the next two years. Very often when the public votes the way […]
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