Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate--The Essential Guide for Progressives

Rating:
Summary: Racism is not an issue for Lakoff, it should be
Review: As an African-American woman and progressive Lakoff book was recommended to me by a progressive friend to help me to reframe our progressive agenda. Racism, challenging the racial divide, is not on the list of Lakoff's "to-do" list for the progressive movement. Bush is getting it right by supporting and reaching out to "people of color" in his administration.

As I go to progressive, peace and justice meeting, there is a division "black groups" and "white groups" with different agendas. Until the progressive movement picks up the mantel of racism change can not happen.


Rating:
Summary: At Last!
Review: At last a way to present a responsible liberal approach to the state of the union, a way to bring out the better side of everyone's nature!

Rating:
Summary: Very important to read!
Review: Finally, a book that actually reassured me and helped me understand the current political climate. After reading this very brief book, I feel as though I can enter into a debate with someone of differing views and have some tools to make my points and be heard. Many ideas presented here ring true and are compelling.

Rating:
Summary: Reply from a Conservative
Review: I disagree with some of Lackoff's conclusions even as the essence behind his argument remains correct and compelling.

Lackoff shows here, and in other works, how the metaphors of communication create a kind of "spin" on the subject at hand. Of course, anyone arguing a political position is going to frame their point with the kinds of metaphor that advance their case: That's Rhetoric! In this book, Lackoff uncovers the rhetoric of the conservatives (of which I often find myself a supporter).

What the progressives need to do (if they follow Lackoff's persuasive advise) is learn how to do what the Republicans have done: frame their positions in the positive. As a case in point in failure, both sides of the 2004 election feel that the radical edge of the Democratic party did harm to their own cause. The fringe failed to frame their points properly and so took a fall in the politics of rhetoric (and possibly took part of their party with them). The movie on 911, the anti-Bush sentiment, etc., may have backfired because they were framed in angst and near-bitterness (and so failed to sell to large blocks of voters).

Away from the fringe, John Kerry -- as has already been pointed out by other reviewers -- appears to have taken a few pages from this book. Why did he then fail? I can't answer that, but I will suggest that it is not sufficient to take a few pages from Lackoff. One must be more thoroughgoing than adopting a few rhetorical points (like arguing that we need "A stronger America" -- a phrase from Lackoff which some feel positively challenges Bush's war and defense doctrines).

Rhetoric is important, but it must stand for positions. Ultimately, behind the rhetoric, there has to be some sort of action and solid position. Lackoff comes off in this book as a man of consistent and strong conviction; those progressives who read his book won't make up for a lack of demonstrable intent with mere rhetoric, both are required.

Because I am conservative, I feel compelled to offer a slight corrective to how I understand many reviewers take Lackoff (I think he might agree). Conservative Rhetoric is not wrong in and of itself. When a phrase such as "Pro-Life" is used, the impact of the phrase is purposeful, and the possible range of phrases not used is also purposeful. Don't let this confuse you, however. Such rhetoric stands for what is really believed. Therefore, "Pro-Life" is not mere rhetoric. It is a phrase that stands for what is felt to be the intent of the phrase. Many conservative phrases that are used to frame debates are not used out of desperation to bolster illogical or losing points (of course the other side thinks they are illogical and losing). They are used out of conviction. So, for example, Bush probably does believe that terrorists are evil. The use of the rhetoric of casting the military targets into the worst possible light is not simply rhetoric: it captures the essence of Bush's convictions. Likewise, progressive rhetoric that flows from a reading of this book will hopefully capture the beliefs of the progressives.

Lackoff suggests that progressives need to become better at framing the political discussions. Our country thrives on good rhetoric that argues persuasively for the positions of various sectors of thought. However, the reader of Lackoff should not come away from this book as if it shows that conservative rhetoric is fiendish or dark. The rhetoric of both sides is purposeful, and in both cases (at the best moments) should represent reality and firm convictions. Therefore, it's not good enough to vote for the man who says we need a 'Stronger America'; we need actual policy behind that phrase that advances or seeks its essence. Bush has an actual policy (one may disagree with it, but one knows what it is), and so his rhetoric appears to come from real convictions. The progressives need good rhetoric that stands for specific and known policy positions. I suggest to Lackoff that many of his liberal readers who adopt his book's premise (about framing debates to positively advance the cause) must not confuse that with conservatives having been successful at advancing secret ulterior motives.

Furthermore, it is not enough to be good at rhetoric (as an end unto itself) -- that would be to misread Lackoff. It may be the case that people honestly believe the reality behind the conservative rhetoric. Those who voted for conservatives in 2004 are not fools who bought the huckster's fake miracle cure (duped by clever rhetoric), but -- and I know it is hard to imagine -- many actually agreed with the policy codified by the rhetoric.

Lackoff is easily one of the more stimulating authors I encounter (even when he makes me angry!). His book is a rewarding read, even for those conservatives who will not agree with all his points. I do think that some of Lackoff's more scientific work is blunted by his own presuppositions about the nature of man and the world, all of which comes out in this book.

I will end this review (it's more like a reply) with a recent example where it appears that one Democrat is taking Lackoff to heart. After the last election Hillary Clinton came out in speeches using the name of "Jesus". In some detail she spoke of Jesus as a liberal who cared for the needy. She claimed that the Democratic Party advances the ideals of Jesus-religion. This is her positive framing of the religious question (cf. Lackoff). Instead of chastising Republicans for their overt Evangelical ties, she is offering a Lackoff like positive answer. And, in her rhetoric she is honest -- she really views Jesus as being like her and her party. She has recast him into the mold of the compassionate liberal. Her rhetoric matches belief, and this may help in the Southern red states where he still has a high approval rating. However, if we ever take the time to find out what her convictions entail, some voters may be disappointed. Does she accept or reject the Jesus of Mormonism? Does she align herself with the man on the cross in Mel Gibson's film? Who is her Jesus? Is she Unitarian in belief, or does she claim to have the Jesus of Orthodox Protestantism? Does she believe that the man in 1st century Israel was god in flesh? Does she want to follow all the Bible's theological teachings, or the abstracted moral codes? Evangelicals might not buy what Hillary is offering; they are not religious only, but keep Jesus close to heart in a deep commitment to his identity. Does she? Is she using him in a bid for the presidency? What is behind her positive framing? She really believes what she says, but the reason for her rhetoric will be found-out if it does not match the dogma of those she seeks to win.

Lackoff makes this kind of analysis possible, and encourages it in this book.



Rating:
Summary: REAL ANSWERS - the key to UNDERSTAND extreme Right
Review: If you are a progressive person shocked by
extent of social changes that you perceive
as backward move and if you are disturbed
by the depth of ideological polarization
in this country.
This book has REAL ANSWERS.

You will understand that conservative people are
NOT dishonest, greedy and mean - on the contrary
- there is very definite ETHICS behind their decisions
- ethics that may be foreign to most progressive people
but ethics nevertheless.

VERY HIGHLY recommended - if there is one book
on politics you will read this year - this one should
be it.



Rating:
Summary: Progressives: Read this book and unite
Review: Lakoff is a top-notch scientist and thinker. He is among the most important linguists of the past few decades for his incredibly intuitive research on how people think and how languages reflects and shapes their thought. He is one the few people out there able to see the big picture -- how something as complex as politics can be understood in terms of the very brains in which it exists and is played out.

He is also a passionate progressive and brilliant strategist. I hope this book, with its lucid, completely accessible prose style, will serve as a pamphlet for the Democrats for decades to come. I encourage everyone who cares about America, about the way conservatives have run it into the ground during their hold on American government, to read it.

"Framing 101: How to Take Back Public Discourse" is a tour-de-force of analysis and strategy for this very moment. Its message: Conservatives have been taking over political discourse from the top all the way down by creating grand but focused political strategies and manipulating language to their end. "Clear Skies Act," "tax relief," "family values: each is an example of how conservatives have framed their take on American political discourse in concise, value-loaded, and often misleading rhetoric meant to win people over by infiltrating the core of their identities and thought-processes. Democrats must not perpetuate and play into Republicans' neologisms and the Republican arrangement of what is moral, what is good, what is natural, etc. Democrats must be proactive, forming their own clear visions and a simple language to express them in.

"Enter the Terminator!" is an illuminating case study in how political framing is accomplished, with the media as instrument.

"What Unites Progressives" is a great end-note to this short book. Really it just articulates what every progressive feels in his or her heart, that we share a wonderful set of values and principles that are fundamentally American. Lakoff then suggests we settle on some common core policy directions, and he proposes a *ten-word* progressive/Democratic philosophy to get the ball rolling.

Buy this book, read it in a day, and get excited to restore our country to the things it deserves:

A Stronger America with a Better Future, one of Broad Prosperity, Effective Government, and Mutual Responsibility.

Rating:
Summary: Now I Understand!
Review: Okay... I was willing to hand the neo-cons some credit for creative legislation names like No Child Left Behind, and the Clear Skies Act. But I couldn't understand how an American electorate could buy it all hook, line and sinker. It's the framing!

We've been lost in the wilderness of facts and logic so long, that we've forgotten how to communicate, while the members of the Radical Right have been refining their skills in presenting their message.

Lakoff's premise, clearly explained in terms of linguistics and communication, is that the framing of the message strengthen and reinforces it before it ever is delivered. It's not a cynical manipulation of language, but a skillful application of classic presentation skills.

We (those of the liberal persuasion) have been listening to ad men, political consultants and pundits far too long. We forget that there are other frames (perspectives) from which people might view the same message. Consider the contrasting metaphores that Lakoff uses throughout, that of the Strict Father or the Nurturing Parent. The Radical Right embrace the Strict Father. Progressives and Liberals favor the Nurturing Parent.

Once you begin to look past the words and consider the way the message is... and can be... framed, you'll better understand how we can reverse the trends of the past two election cycles and focus on bringing positive change that betters and strengthens America.

I'm buying some copies for my friends! Get the word out!

Rating:
Summary: Get them before they get you.
Review: One of the most unique aspects of this book is unlike others which complain about Republicans being evil while it may be true, this book provides a valuable insight into how progressives and Democrats can overcome the current fake populism framing done by the current GOP with true framing. Yes, John Kerry may have done a little framing in the first Presidential debate as pointed out. However, like other Democrats including Gray Davis in 2003 during the tragic CA recall which Lakeoff refers to when pointing out Arnold's core similarities to the Republican Party even though the rightwing media still insists that Arnold is a liberal/moderate Republican which he isn't, Kerry let it go and thus allowed the GOP to frame him in a box. It must be noted that had it not been for Perot in 1992, Clinton would not have likely won because like most Democrats, he never really reframed the debates but instead counted on Ross Perot to bring the issues to the forefront only to have Clinton capitalize on it. Now don't get me wrong, I've been in no way supportive of the Republican party for the past 20 since Reagan in 1984 but it's time for progressives and Democrats to appeal to the average voters by reframing the debates or face another defeat.

P.S.: I say the Democrats in Florida who have been defeated election after election for the past 20 years to the point of irrelevance could certainly follow Lakeoff's advice and get it right next time !

Rating:
Summary: Buy this book and take back our country!
Review: Tax relief. Death tax. Climate Change. Partial Birth Abortion. Conservatives exploit this language to activate conceptual frames in the minds of Americans to shape political discourse and thereby making Red Staters consistently vote against their best interests.

And if you haven't noticed, it works really well.

In this short volume, linguist and cognitive scientist George Lakoff clearly explains how and why this strategy works, how conservatives and progressives think, and practical advice on what to do about it. The book is understandably critical of progressives, because they lack the unity, long-term planning, and success of conservatives. Lakoff lays out the ways in which different types of conservatives (social, financial, etc.) have effectively combined their messages, whereas progressives' goals have fragmented, even though they share many ideas. Most Americans hold progressive values, he says, but they need better articulation and agreement among progressives to prevail. Don't think of an Elephant is the crucial instruction manual to achieve this end and change direction at a time with Republicans at the country's controls for (at least) the next four years.


Rating:
Summary: Tired of being looked at as spineless? Then this book is for
Review: you. In fact, unlike most pundits, pollsters, and analysts in the right wing media as well as many progressive authors, George Lakeoff not only points out the rise of conservatism for the past 30+ years through framing their debates based on the strict moral father but honestly proves that progressives need to reframe the debates in order to win as the nurturing parent (be it mother or father). By reframing the debates, progressives can finally get back to important issues and motivate more voters and even count on their support. It is interesting to note that Howard Dean gives this book a strong endorsement especially after this tragic Nov 2004 election of Bush and more GOP in Congress and Senate. Now that Howard Dean is about to be the DNC chair, it will be interesting to see if he can get more Democrats, old or new, to follow Lakeoff's advice and succeed.