Okay, THIS is good.

[Sparkly]

I like posting a positive when I find one. I don't mean plucking a slim silver lining from every huge storm cloud -- I generally do not like what the Democrats have done (or rather, haven't done) with their majority.

Part of that is their "PR." With the bully pulpit, we can't blame the media completely. But THIS is the framing I've been looking for:

"They say we shouldn't provide unemployment insurance because it costs money," chided Obama.

"So after years of championing policies that turned a record surplus into a massive deficit, including a tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, they've finally decided to make their stand on the backs of the unemployed," he said.

The White House is particularly scornful of Republican criticism of the deficit, which is forecast to hit a record $1.56 trillion in the current fiscal year.

(snip)

"They've got no problem spending money on tax breaks for folks at the top who don't need them and didn't even ask for them; but they object to helping folks laid off in this recession who really do need help," Obama said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100717/pl_nm/us_obama_republicans;

Now all they need to do is boil it down to one or two short phrases to REPEAT -- repeat, repeat, repeat, every Democrat on every talk show or press conference or speech. I used to hate it when Republicans did that, but I'm now convinced that's what it takes. And it should be easy because unlike their lies and spin, this is TRUE!!

So who's our Frank Luntz??

[Enrique]

1. I have no qualms about repeat repeat repeat

that's what they MUST do, and this is exactly the thing to repeat. They should single out Carly Fiorina and her golden parachute as the symbol of the GOP. Every dem candidate run against her.

[tomp]

2. absolutely stellar campaign rhetoric!

and we can pay for unemployment with savings on abortion services/insurance for risk pool women,
while the banks get 100 cents on the dollar for their crimes, and trillions go to war.

that's our guy!

[Myrina]

37. +1000

Indeed.

[bvar22]

3. With you on this.

This needs to be hammered home.

[Nancy Waterman]

4. this is the key line

"So after years of (unfunded) policies that turned a record surplus into a massive deficit, including a tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, they've finally decided to make their stand on the backs of the unemployed.

Nice image.

[gristy]

8. hey've finally decided to make their stand on the backs of the unemployed.

That really stood out for me too. Hopefully it will get repeated.

[bjobotts]

29. The dems don't have the megaphone. It's right wing radio 500 to 1 and conservative corporate TV

[bjobotts]

30. It's the president's weeky speech or we'd never hear about it

[bjobotts]

31. 50 tea baggers get 24/7 coverage but 5000 progressives get zilch

[BlancheSplanchnik]

40. Your 3 posts should be a thread in themselves--

Obama can frame the issue as powerfully and truthfully as he wants (and he often does), but the fucking news never gets out to where the 24/7 news channels reach.


so what in the hell are we supposed to DO about it, that's my question. We here all know the truth is completely shafted by NewsCorpSelfServingBrainwashClearlyBullshitChannel®, but we've been saying it for ages. How do we get a voice at the mic?

Can news media be separated from the entertainment-propaganda-advertising juggernaut? How can we move toward that goal?

[breadandwine]

38. Our only real megaphone is Obama himself and he can get attention but

he is too often too placid in tone to compete with the right wing echo chamber.

He never pounds the podium or shows passion and the public is frustrated, passionate and angry but he's not plugging into that or seizing on it and directing it to the Democrats so the GOP has hijacked the emotion-mobile. Obama is too obsessed with sounding polite and reasonable and he doesn't have the fortitude to rail and get angry and the public is looking for someone who feels their pain enough to get angry with them. So they will vote Republican.

[rasputin1952]

5. I can actually see Boehner and McConnel cringe...

when they bring up unemployment, the patterns their faces make are subtle...but watch Boehner his facial/body language is very telling.

[one_voice]

6. Best line...

"So after years of championing policies that turned a record surplus into a massive deficit, including a tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, they've finally decided to make their stand on the backs of the unemployed," he said.

Hard to get that "picture" out of your mind.

[Catshrink]

7. I agree - short phrases, sound bites

that's what people remember.

Stop talking like law professors and intellectuals and start boiling the message down to short and sweet talking points.

Don't say Republicans are obstructing UE, say the Republicans are blocking UE.

[tilsammans]

9. Yes, indeed! We need OUR OWN talking points . . .

. . . and the bonus = ours are based on results, not on lies and spin-doctoring.

:applause:

[mike_c]

10. agreed-- BUT coming from the man who's draining the coffers for unnecessary wars...

...it's a bit hollow sounding.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Milo_Bloom]

13. He's not ending the war in Iraq.

He is reducing troop levels, but will leave 30,000->50,000 troops there.

[Chulanowa]

36. So when is Obama going to end the war in Germany, Japan, and Korea?

That fucking bastard!!!

[Milo_Bloom]

42. He didn't lie about "ending" them.

[mike_c]

15. guess I forgot to drink my koolaid today, huh...?

You have a strange definition of "ending the war in Iraq." Mine includes bringing home all the U.S. troops and mercenaries and ceasing to occupy the country. What's yours?

[Hydra]

11. I guess the trial balloons came in

And they weren't on the side of the Bush tax cuts.

...Maybe this will go somewhere.

[ZombieHorde]

14. Recommended. nt

[progressoid]

16. minor corrrection...

He said, "tax breaks for folks at the top who don't need them and didn't even ask for them"

I'm willing to bet they DID ask for them - just not publicly. I'm sure plenty of million/billionaires have expressed their desire to lower their taxes to congress. The many millionaires in Congress notwithstanding.

[Amonester]

32. Warren Buffet said his Secretary pays more taxes than he does.

And that he thinks it's not fair! (major DUH...)

He sure didn't ask for the tax cuts.

Of course, he's not the only billionaire out there, but reading that line made me recall his case.

OTOH, why didn't the President say he wants to cut 800 billions out of the bloated military budget.

Doing so would reduce the deficit almost in half right there... But WHO WANT THOSE WARS? The pukes. :grr:

[Qutzupalotl]

17. We are the Luntzes we've been waiting for.

We do, however, have a great point person out there this year explaining things in terms people can understand.

To me, Obama never sounds professorial or chiding. He just makes sense. And he's striking the right tone: critical but rightly offended by the injustice of the other side's plan. Make them defend tax cuts for the rich and cutting unemployment benefits. Fortunately for us, he's right and he knows it. Call it arrogance if you must, but it's infectious. The man knows how to campaign.

[DirkGently]

18. The words are always good. The actions . . . need work.

[Smashcut]

19. This is great - my only pet peeve: the overuse (by many politicians, not just Obama) of "folks"

Seriously.

Can politicians stop doing this? "Folks tell me this, and folks tell me that, and I love all the folks." Barack Obama went to school at Harvard and Columbia and until recently made his home in Chicago. Does anyone really think he calls people "folks" in regular conversation? To me this sounds like such focus (folks-us?) group tested crap to make him seem down-homey and one of the little people. It's condescending and stupid.

Let's see his line again, using the word "people" instead of "folks:"

"They've got no problem spending money on tax breaks for people at the top who don't need them and didn't even ask for them; but they object to helping people laid off in this recession who really do need help," Obama said.

To me this sounds a lot more sincere and as a result it's stronger and more to the point.

Am I the only one who notices this? Again, as I said, many politicians do this - Obama just seems to do it a LOT.

Otherwise, great speech.

K/R

[tblue37]

21. Susan Jacoby complains about this false folksiness in her fine book

The Age of American Unreason. She says we should imagine what past presidents would sound like if they used "folks" like that: e.g., "government of the folks, by the folks, and for the folks." In the past (and not that long ago) we wanted our leaders to sound (and be) intelligent and educated. Now it bothers a lot of Americans to think that their leaders might be more intelligent or better educated than the lowest common denominator. They lable such people "elitist," on the assumption that there is something wrong with being above average.

But Jacoby also points out that the American electorate has long been conditioned to demand just such dake "regular guy" speech from their politicians, so we can hardly blame the politicians for not speaking at a level appropriate to their own education. If they did so, they could never get elected.

[Steely_Dan]

20. I Have Been Complaining...

regularly that the Obama Administration has NOT been framing the arguments. This is a step in the right direction.

-P

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[paulk]

23. this is good

the Democrats, and especially Obama, need to declare all out war on the Republican Party...

[Axle_techie]

26. I'm afraid that when it comes to an all out war...

The republicans would have more guns... Unless you are speaking intellectually, in which case the republicans are unarmed civilians...

[paulk]

28. the republicans have been at war with the democrats ,

metaphorically speaking of course, all along.

the democrats just haven't seemed to realize the stakes that are being played for

[laughingliberal]

24. K & R nt

[nevergiveup]

25. The quote by Will Rogers explains it all.

"I am not a member of any organized party, I'm a Democrat". The Democrats are never organized or in sync on any talking points. What you say is on the money and a no brainer but unfortunately you won't see it from the Democrats.

[alfredo]

27. Regulation = law enforcement

[Hawkowl]

33. More of this!

Obama needs to keep this up and I N T E N S I F Y the message! Attack! Attack! Attack! The corporate whores who want to keep him on a short leash. The only thing he has to lose is his chains.

[harmonicon]

34. that's all good and fine, but it's also just words

The suggested policies by this administration are still measly compared to what needs to be done; namely returning to the progressive tax structures of pre-Reagan times and related lowering of military spending. We could cut spending on the military by something like 75% and still have the largest military in the world, provide every resident with healthcare, and higher education to boot.

[Enthusiast]

35. The media is to blame.

It is too one sided to overcome this time.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

39. Say it on TV, Mr. President...........

The internet will only reach the people who are looking for it. Say it on TV.

[obxhead]

41. If you tell a lie often enough it becomes the truth.

That's the republican mantra.

What would happen if Democrats did the same, but actually started with the TRUTH? Gasp, maybe we could get some of that promised change to start happening.