when they don't roll over and play dead...

But GOOD JOB...THEY DONE GOOD!!!

do i have to drop this comment in every thread?  :^P
where's our brackets, beotch?

The importance of Framing cannot be underestimated and why the Dems must not let the Repugs FRAME the idea of a "Nuclear Option as a Democatic one.

the D's have done so well on this one but have lost on everything else.

It's because it's the one issue that I actually agree with the R's on. In the 2003 governor's races, KY, Mississippi, California, and Louisiana, I supported the Democrats on all but one - and of course, we lost all but one race. As for '04, I don't even want to talk about it!

Maybe I should "support" (jinx!) the republicans more often.

First, "private accounts" was a Republican term. Lots of education got folks to see it for what it was and so they react negatively to it. Education was the key, not Democratic framing.

Second, "count the articles" isn't a particularly valuable method of determining effectiveness. If the NY Times, the Washington Post, the LA Times and (pick your handful of others) go with it, then the market penetration of the new terminology is huge.

I could be wrong, but I don't think it's accurate to equate framing with Orwellian newspeak, per se.

The only framing I think is needed to counter these things is "The Republicans have a new label for private accounts. They're not privatization anymore they're 'personal'." Get the new term tied to the old term and the accurate definition.

Frames are important, and, PARTICULARLY IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY COUNTERARGUMENT, they can change people's perceptions.  Good example--the Death Tax.  There was no effort to explain the long history and utility of the estate tax, that this was a con job, and the fact that revenue lost by its abolition would have to be made up by taxing the middle class.  So it worked.

The Social Security debate in general has been as successful as it has been not just because of counterframing, but because the Dems showed some unity and fought back.  In addition, the Dems' position is clear--retain and strengthen the current defined benefit program before thinking about add-on accounts.  And the GOP position is a "free lunch" with lots of future borrowing thrown in, and people can see that.

So while the SS battle shows the value of framing, it also shows the value of unity, fighting back and a clear message.  No one thing is sufficient by itself.  Framing alone only works when the other side is asleep.

  Remember the Power of framing Anti Abortion groups as "Pro Life". I would always argue Pro choicers shoud have fought to the end over that term "PRO Life" untill it became nullified and mute. I said all pro abortion folks should say they were "Pro Life" and respond accordingly Every time someone from the anti abortion side claimed the Term pro abortion folks should start an argument over it and not back off until the only way to proceed would be, not use the term at all.
Repigs have learned the value of Frames it is essential progressives do the same.