George Lakoff: Obama's Missing Moral Narrative

Barack Obama may be one of the best communicators of this generation, but he is not living up to his own talents. In a year of disasters, communication failure doubles the disasters. If, as he says, the monster spill was his highest priority from Day 1, he needed to communicate that from Day 1 - or at least Day 3 or 4. It took five weeks for him to tell the nation what he and his administration were doing. The result was visible in the press conference yesterday. He was on the defensive. He needed to be on the offensive - from early on. The choice is not doing or communicating. It is doing **and** communicating.

His narrative: This is a tough, unprecedented situation, but I'm in charge, and I've been very busy, in the Situation Room where I belong, not on TV. I'm fully competent. I'm a good policy wonk - ask me any question about details. I'm honest. I admit my few policy mistakes. I think about the details day and night. Don't think I'm oblivious.

It's defensive, trying to overcome criticism that should never have been allowed to accumulate. But worse, it's weak when it needs to be strong. The president did do the required minimum. He placed a moratorium on offshore drilling and cancelled oil leases in the Gulf and off Virginia. He appointed a commission to make safety recommendations. And he is reorganizing the Mining Management Service. All to the good, but...

Crises are opportunities. He has consistently missed them. Today was a grand opportunity to pull together the threads - BP and the spill, Massey and the mine disaster, Wall Street and the economic disaster, Anthem BlueCross and health care, the Arizona Immigration Law, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, even Afghanistan. The press threw him fastballs straight down the middle, and he hit dribblers every time.

http://www.truthout.org/obamas-missing-moral-narrative59968

Very guarded and has none of the charm of a Ron Reagan or Bill Clinton when he is asked for an off the cuff remark.

Of course, I am now of the opinion that it doesn't matter any way. My blinders are off - the Political class is always about them, and not about the people.

So it probably is better to not have the Shucksters' charm bamboozling us into thinking someone
any where in the upper reaches of government cares one whit about any of us at the bottom.

once they get in office.

they turned over our country to the moral low ground and basically enshrined lawlessness.

This is what I can't forgive them for. What is most galling to me is the reasons given were all about expedience and moving forward and avoiding the messiness of investigation and prosecution of the highest crimes we'll ever see in our lifetime.

The Democrats aided and abetted Republican lawlessness with their lack of fortitude and guts and we'll all pay the price pretty much forever. And those poor idiots will be AMAZED when the absolutely shameless Republicans continue to prosecute them for the equivalent of a hangnail when they (Republicans)have bludgeoned and dismembered us and gotten away with it.

chances of doing anything to being it aback from the brink..

I have been touting George Lakoff for years. The repukes have their Frank Luntz's and others who have successfully implemented "argument framing" procedures. It has worked to their advantage for decades. It was part of why Bush got "elected"...both times!!
If the races had not been so close, there could not have been the outright stealing of the elections that did occur.

It is about time the Democrats/Progressives try doing a little "framing of the argument" for themselves!