Applying the Latest Congnitive Linquistics to Obama's Message

[clear eye]

Obama is undeniably eloquent whenever he speaks, but there are two errors that have crept into the frame being used as the campaign adjusts to appeal to independents. I'll call the first "the apologetic subtext".

Obama and Biden can improve their appeal by dropping all that will sound apologetic to many listeners. That means leaving off prefacing every criticism of McCain with "I respect McCain but..." or "McCain is my friend but..". What the voters get from this is a warm, fuzzy picture of McCain, followed by some policy differences, which significantly cuts the effectiveness of the message. It also grants McCain points on personality that he hasn't earned. That humility may have been necessary when Obama was a virtual unknown and McCain was a prominent name, but at this point it comes across as a lack of self-respect. McCain won't excuse himself before stating a criticism, and Obama would do best to behave as though he assumes he is an equal. Ditto the insistence that all parties are equally good. At least that's how it's coming across, rather than what the campaign is trying to convey--that Obama will work openly with everyone.

I still think we're winning, but I thought so in 2004, too. So I am concerned that the apologetic subtext continues with Obama's running as a virtual independent and distancing himself from the Democratic brand in his points about why his Presidency will be vastly superior to McCain's. There's an overdose of how "party won't matter". It's gotten to the point that the listener might get a subliminal impression that the candidate is ashamed of being a Democrat. The problem is not ideological, it's pragmatic, because the reality of independent voter behavior contradicts what most handlers think.

The second error is to position Obama/Biden as a good fit for independents by strongly implying that the ticket is "non-partisan":

Independents are, to a large extent, apolitical, and approach Presidential campaign season as though it were a world series. George Lakoff explained in his book Thinking Points why research shows that a non-partisan message doesn't attract independents as most campaign managers think it will. Seems that people can hold only one version of reality in their heads at a time, so independents look at both parties' frames and choose the one that grabs them. The message can be moderate, but it would have to be aggressively so. Something like "I stand for what Americans have always stood for...", which distinguishes itself by framing the opponent as an extremist. Independents are looking for something distinct enough that they can develop a rooting interest in it. While they may approve of a governing strategy that is open to working with the other side, they are not looking for a ticket that claims it takes no side or strong position at all. That would be like rooting for the umpire.

Independents go by their gut feeling about the candidate and the message, and are not more likely to vote for candidates who keep repeating they don't stand for a party. In fact, remarks like that probably inject a note of unappealing timidity. And that line is certainly not going to help get a sympathetic Congress elected. It just misleads the independents into thinking there'll be no difference if they vote for a Republican representative to work with Obama.

With best wishes for the campaign and our country,
ClearEye

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

1. both observations are right on the money

[No Elephants]

2. Good Stuff!! Email it to the campaign!

[clear eye]

3. Do you know someone's address? nt

[flamingdem]

4. I agree except people are tired of dirty politics, so it's a fine line

and in 2008 anger from a man perceived as African American is still potentially alienating to Joe6pack.

[clear eye]

5. I agree that anger must be avoided

but respect for who one is, is a must for voter appeal. Obama's actually showing a lot of self-respect in some ways (some even call him arrogant) but divorcing the Democratic Party both appears as evasive and ashamed, and as so arrogant that he thinks he can win all alone.

[The Magistrate]

6. Right On All Counts, Ma'am!

Excellent observations.

[clear eye]

7. EDIT: Tonight's Speech Will Differentiate Between the Parties

and has only one small paragraph saying we owe McCain gratitude and respect for his service. In fact, I have it on good authority that it emphasizes the superiority of the Democratic Party. Seems like someone made my points to the Obama campaign already. I'm happy and relieved.