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Obama: reframer

Obama is the nominee. Thank goodness: he has more promise than any other Democrat Presidential candidate for two generations.
How has he done it, against what 8 months ago was the near-certainty that Clinton would win? He has done it by reframing the issues.
See for instance

http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org/research/rockridge/to-catch-a-wolf

http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/02/20/the-secret-of-obamas-success-and-why-hell-keep-winning-%E2%80%94-he-listens-to-george-lakoff/

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/editorblog/040

and, crucially,

http://www.rockridgenation.org/blog/archive/2007/05/29/thinking-points-discussion-of-chapter-8-part-1-the-art-of-arguments


[See also

http://chumppolitics.blogspot.com/2008/05/dont-think-of-clinging-elephant.html

].

This -- reframing, generating words that win in a sustainable way, not mere spin with its temporary 'hit' and its cynical backwash -- is what the Green Party too needs to do. In a big way.
I am working on a book (a 'handbook') of reframing techniques. To find out more, visit the 'Reframing links', about halfway down the leftside of this blog.
And watch this space.

Comments

bigbluemeanie said…
Promise of what? He's keeping his positions vague and unclear as much as possible. On middle east and iran he's close to McCain.
Rupert said…
Yes, he's pretty rubbish on foreign policy -- though NOT as bad as the warmonger McCain. American Presidents are almost always terrible on foreign policy. It is the domestic agenda (including environmental matters) where Obama gives one some real hope.
Jim Jepps said…
He's not close to McCain on Iran. What a weird thing to say!

McCain is for a permanent war and Obama thinks its important to talk to regimes that the US has disagreements with - like Iran, Cuba and Venezuela.

I don't think he's the messiah in the way some obama's supporters seem to but there is a substantial difference between the democrat and republican nominees for president.
Rupert said…
Yes, Jim is of course correct, as I should already have pointed out: Obama is actually for opening up a proper peace dialogue with Iran -- the diammetric opposite of the terrifying Bush-McCain-Israel policy on the issue.
Rupert said…
Plus of course Obama was at least against the invasion of Iraq!

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