The Republican advantage: Framing Theory

During, and ever since, the last election, I've found myself furious at Democrats for their seeming inability to grasp (let alone compete in) the Game that Republicans play so well. I've never been quite sure myself what it was that 'Game' was, only that Dems sucked at it, and it was costing them almost all of the confidence America once had in their ideals. How was it, for instance, that the Repubs had created such a strong, clear agenda while making Dems look like mealy-mouthed intellectuals with no interest in The People? And how did the Republicans manage to crumple John Kerry's image like a gum wrapper, while Dems seemed just to be shouting hopelessly into a deaf crowd serious concerns about the mismanagement of the war?

So I was reading the NY Times this morning and came across this article by Matt Bai about the way Republicans have used language to capture the American attention. It's a long article, but check it out. It will fill you with a sense of Orwellian dread, while at the same time offering hope that the Dems have finally figured out what they need to do to prevent our government from becoming a one-party affair.

Now, the Hub says I shouldn't put NY Times articles links on my posts, because some people aren't registered to the NY Times. Well...register, for Chrissake! It's not that difficult.