Democrat "messiah" Reframes Framing?

Democrats are looking to advisor George Lakoff to tell them what to say for the battle over the Supreme Court nominee. His book, "Don't Think of an Elephant," uses his own linguistic theories to consider politics and language. Lakoff is telling Democrats that they have to use metaphors and emotionally-charged language to effectively resist Republicans.

In this article, Lakoff admits that Republicans were able to figure out first how to use language effectively. Americans responded to the "flip flopper" label that Bush used against Kerry in 2004. This verbal metaphor, backed up with a visual of Kerry windsurfing, combined with constant repititions of the metaphor created an emotional response against Kerry.

When Democrats needed help with the filibuster debate, Lakoff came up with Bush rolling dice to change traditions on a whim. He was also responsible for the Democrat's image of President Bush as an "old-fashioned traveling salesman." Using emotional language is nothing new in politics, but Lakoff thinks he has reinvented the wheel for Democrats by urging them to use emotional metaphors for the President and his plans.

The key is: find a message that has emotional appeal and repeat it often. The trick is to find an effective message for each issue or race. As we all know, the messages of both parties and their candidates have varied greatly in effectiveness.