Democrats need frames not facts

On a recent trip to Missouri I read George Lakoff's book Don't Think of an Elephant. Alternet dissects the principle behind Lakoff's practical and common-sense strategy for progressives to take back the power of language from conservatives.

Lakoff's essential thesis is this: progressives should frame their policy and politics according to the progressive worldview and progressive values. Above all, Lakoff seems to advocate a simplification of progressive language and abandonment of the misplaced belief that facts will ultimately save the day.

The most important resource that politicians have, they both argue, is the ways in which people understand the world. Their values. Their world views. (Lakoff adds to this: their brains.) If you tap into those values, inform them, tweak them, focus and reflect those values back at an electorate ? that's the way to win power.

In this struggle to control political reality through language, you don't dispute specific words or rebut the facts; you don't even attack your opponents' frames. What you do is assert your side's frame, making it so big, so omnipresent, so unavoidable that it's as natural as talking about the roundness of the Earth. Disputing such a fact seems counterintuitive. Even heretical.

Consider Lakoff's example of taxes and tax cuts. Lakoff says conservatives have successfully recast the tax debate. Over the last thirty years, conservatives have colored taxes as bad, burdensome, and unwanted. Even people who will not benefit from tax cuts and who actually stand to lose out with massive tax cuts has internalized the idea that taxes are bad. Thus, "tax relief" is the antidote to the omnipresent tax burden. What is unmentioned is taxes are necessary investments. Taxes have funded highways, scientific advancement, and education. Lakoff argues progressives should create their own frame for the tax debate. Progressives should cast taxes as small investments in our future and taxes are the only way for everyone to contribute their fair share to society.

Lakoff views progressive and conservative values and frames in terms of family models. Conservatives cast frames in line with the "strict father" model while progressives seize the "nurturing parent" model.

Lakoff applied his theory of language and mind to political beliefs; the result is a useful pocket guide to conservative and liberal worldviews. Conservatives, he argues, believe in a family led by a strict father who protects moral dependents, punishes moral inferiors, and aims to raise independent children to fend for themselves in a dangerous world. Liberals believe in the family led by nurturing parents (or parent) who encourage children's inherent goodness so they will treat others with fairness and equality. All policies and positions shake out from these models and help predict what each side will do, according to Lakoff.

At only $10 Lakoff's smallish book is a worthy and necessary investment. If progressives and the Democratic party are going to survive and ultimately thrive, we need to use language that helps win us rather than sealing our defeat. 2004 showed facts and plans aren't enough. Kerry's plans were better, they were more responsible and more sustainable. Kerry failed to communicate his catalog of plans in ways that incorporated the larger progressive worldview and connected with voters on a values level. Deliberately employing language and frames offers progressives and left leaning candidates a chance to speak with values as a backdrop while rebuffing the neo-conservative, rightward slant in politics and government today.