Under heaven nothing is more soft and yielding than water. Yet for attacking the solid and strong, nothing is better; It has no equal. The weak can overcome the strong; The supple can overcome the stiff. Under heaven everyone knows … [Read more...]
Seeing through the water
< 10px" class="Apple-style-span">And we often don't notice our public systems and structures until they malfunction. A busted traffic signal gets more attention than a functioning one, in the same way we notice potholes more than … [Read more...]
Call the Spade a Bloody Shovel
Last night, Keith Olbermann exposed another vivid example of John McCain's craven, wanton priorities: ... Senator McCain said it most concisely in June. "Look," he said. "I know the area, I've been there, I know wars, I know how to win … [Read more...]
Dragging Sarah Palin Through the Mud
Blechhhh. This leaves a disgusting taste in my mouth. She has to show up for her debate. No matter how hard she studies, there's no way Sarah Palin can win that debate. No matter how bright and shiny and colourful, no matter how pretty the … [Read more...]
Some thoughts on framing
Note that these ideas are not fully worked out (except for the last one). Emphasize the strengths and diversity of Obama's experience compared to McCain's. For example, paint McCain as a Washington Insider for over two and a half decades, … [Read more...]
How POTUS Candidates should handle the Marriage Q
Angie Paccione ran against Republican incumbent [and author of the discriminatory federal marriage amendment] Marilyn Musgrave (CO) in the Nov. 2006 congressional elections. Angie lost by 3 points. Given her very firm … [Read more...]
Un-great moments in framing
"Framing" -- the association of two or more things, even if denying the connection, thereby reinforcing the connection in the public's mind. A distant cousin of the Freudian slip.Richard Nixon, November 17, 1973:"I am not a crook"... … [Read more...]
Question 1, Framed
On the "Yes" side, the chief idea is that of convenience. "Vote yes on Question 1 for consumer choice and convenience."First off, if you really stop and think about it, convenience and consumer choice are not really the same thing at all. … [Read more...]
Framing Alert: the IC factor
Leaving the "ic" off references to the Democratic Party. Seems like a simple thing, but he builds a good case that this is just one more case of the mean-spirited dissing that has now come to permeate all levels of discourse, not just the … [Read more...]
The Buck Stops with Deval
Devalâs private sector experience is unique in the field of candidates: a corporate lawyer who has been brought in by large corporations when those companies have major problems to solve. He may not have founded the company, but he … [Read more...]