General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: This may start a DU dispute," but [View all]summer_in_TX
(3,085 posts)Joe was amazing at articulating the American ideal, welcoming immigrants, standing up for civil rights, inclusion. He of all the candidates best articulated that we were in a fight over values.
Frank Luntz isn't the only one.
George Lakoff, a cognitive linguist (and philosopher), is best known for his thesis that people's lives are significantly influenced by the conceptual metaphors they use to explain complex phenomena. The author of Don't Think of an Elephant among other works, Lakoff talked about how framing triggers emotional reactions that are far more important than an intellectual approach. Lakoff's a progressive and tried to get Dems to run their races by articulating values over and over, and framing any policies in ways that tie them directly to their values. Brilliant, but a lot of Dems didn't listen. I think Joe Biden did.
The phrase Defund the Police (and before it Defund ICE) and running on socialism all trigger emotional negative reactions that bypass reasoning. As a mentor of mine says, if you have to explain it, you're losing.