Framing

Here is a piece building on a previous article’s section on finger pointing:

A deep vein of corruption and inaccuracy has snaked its way into the bedrock of the conservative party and we, as Democrats, must act. You may think that I will be advocating swift and merciless retribution against the GOP, who have not held back the reins when scandal erupts within liberal administrations, but instead I would take a different route.

The wrongdoings of many within the Republican Party must be noted and reprimanded, but we cannot frame our arguments as attacks on them or their actions specifically. We must present the problems being observed in the other party as blows dealt to America by the GOP instead of blows dealt to the corrupt politician. The currents system is not working and change is needed.

Take for example the current actions of Democrat and Senator John P. Murtha, who has come out criticizing President Bush and demanding an exit from Iraq. President Bush and his party seem to be wearing Kevlar when it comes to rough politics, and have responded with a salvo of their own ammunition. Vice President Cheney has now declared Representative Murtha’s action “revisionism of the most corrupt and shameless variety.” It is true that Murtha supported the war in Iraq originally and has as close as a year ago said that pulling out of Iraq could result in disaster. Now, however, he says trips to Iraq and Walter Reed Memorial Hospital along with a growing disillusion with President Bush’s handling of the war have helped to change his mind. This may be “revisionism,” but it certainly is not “shameless” or “corrupt.” It seems to me that a Marine Colonel, Murtha, would not be inclined to leave Iraq if there were not sufficient reasons to do so.

Indeed, there are many reasons to exit Iraq soon (although perhaps not right this minute), such as the ill equipped and overworked state of our troops, the recent call by the Iraqi Congress to create an exit strategy on the 21st, and the fact that their security forces will be, according to their self report, ready for action next year and at full strength. Still, these Iraqi soldiers seem to have the law enforcement capabilities of Charmin Two-ply and the county is bogged down with infrastructure failures and with terrorist attacks. I personally don’t think at this point a clear judgment call can be made about remaining in Iraq or leaving, but certainly Democrats and whoever call for such action must propose their ideas more intelligently.

We must point out wrongdoings and bad politics more adeptly and efficiently. In a news conference held recently Senator Harry Reid put forewords a five “chapter” rebuttal of the President’s actions surrounding Iraq. This is the kind of argumentation we need and also, in order to win back the Senate and House, surpass. Instead of framing the errors made by Bush as his problems we must instead portray them as harms to America. Democrats should eliminate critiques and implement damage/benefit analysis. The president was looking to invade Iraq and because of his unilateral approach we are now spending 5.6 billion dollars per month on our actions there.

With this type of method we can return to a good politician’s role: as defenders of America. Also, Democrats can no longer be seen or portrayed as cutthroats, while still demonstrating the misguided actions and significant problems created by the GOP.

-- Evan Larson
(Sorry about the late post, things were hectic)