Reframing the Debate - Left vs. Right

[lpetrich]

The power of framing: It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it | Science | The Guardian about George Lakoff's work

... if you negate a frame, you strengthen a frame. In other words, if you say “don’t think of an elephant,” you can’t help but think of one.

Because of concerns like these, Lakoff urged the Clinton campaign to follow a strategy akin to Trump’s: constantly repeat your position, and avoid repeating Trump’s false claims. The Clinton campaign’s response? It tried to use Trump’s words against him, releasing a series of commercials showing Trump’s scandals spliced together – giving the public more chances to “think of an elephant.”

The Right is expert on that, with rhetoric like "strong national defense" and "toughness on crime" and "self-reliance". But the Left has scored some successes, like "marriage equality" for same-sex marriage and "Medicare for All" for single-payer medical insurance. Bernie Sanders has done that by asserting that healthcare is a human right, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with her Twitter tagline "In a modern, moral, & wealthy society, no American should be too poor to live."

I now wish to mention some nice examples by Melanie D'Arrigo, who is running against Thomas Suozzi, D in HR district NY-03. MDA slams TS as having received a lot of big money in his campaigns.

Melanie D'Arrigo for Congress on Twitter: "Progressives shouldn’t have to defend policies that benefit all Americans against the Right and centerist Democrats, when the argument against is driven by corporate greed.
They need to start defending THEIR positions.
It’s time to #ReframeTheDebate
1/9" / Twitter

Melanie D'Arrigo for Congress on Twitter: "It’s not:
“Why are you against #MedicareForAll?”
It’s:
“Why are you for millions of Americans not having healthcare and millions more being driven into crippling medical debt that only benefits the bottom line of insurance companies?”
#ReframeTheDebate
2/9" / Twitter

Melanie D'Arrigo for Congress on Twitter: "It’s not:
“Why are you against a #GreenNewDeal?”
It’s:
“Why are you for the destruction of our planet for profit?”
#ReframeTheDebate
3/9" / Twitter

Melanie D'Arrigo for Congress on Twitter: "It’s not:
“Why are you against #FreePublicCollege?”
It’s:
“Why are you for higher education as an option only for the rich and those willing to accept decades of debt?”
#ReframeTheDebate
4/9" / Twitter

Melanie D'Arrigo for Congress on Twitter: "It’s not:
“Why are you against housing as a human right?”
It’s:
“Why are you for homelessness?”
#ReframeTheDebate
5/9" / Twitter

Melanie D'Arrigo for Congress on Twitter: "It’s not:
“Why are you against the repeal of the Hyde Amendment?”
It’s:
“Why are you only pro-choice for certain women and not all women?”
#ReframeTheDebate
6/9" / Twitter

Melanie D'Arrigo for Congress on Twitter: "It’s not:
“Why are you against wealth equality?”
It’s:
“Why are you for the super-rich not paying their fair share and getting richer at the expense of every other American?”
#ReframeTheDebate
7/9" / Twitter

Melanie D'Arrigo for Congress on Twitter: "It’s not:
“Why are you against ending corporate influence in politics?”
It’s:
“Why are you for corporations paying politicians to promote policies that go against your best interests?”
#ReframeTheDebate
8/9" / Twitter

Melanie D'Arrigo for Congress on Twitter: "It’s not:
“Why are you against paying a living wage?”
It’s:
“Why are you for millions of Americans living in poverty while working 40 hours a week?”
#ReframeTheDebate
9/9" / Twitter

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Some of those are good turnabouts, others, not so good.

"Ending corporate influence in politics"? Yeah, that'd be great, but that waving a banner around, it isn't going to happen... not with this Congress, not with this Supreme Court. I'd rather work on passing laws requiring disclosure. Want 'free speech', well you need to put your name to it.

"Why are you for destroying the planet"? That'd be a bit melodramatic.

 

[PyramidHead]

"Ending corporate influence in politics"? Yeah, that'd be great, but that waving a banner around, it isn't going to happen... not with this Congress, not with this Supreme Court. I'd rather work on passing laws requiring disclosure. Want 'free speech', well you need to put your name to it.

Would this Congress and this Supreme Court be okay with your plan? If not, what do you suggest we do?

 

[Half-Life]

Melanie D'Arrigo for Congress on Twitter: "It’s not:
“Why are you against #MedicareForAll?”
It’s:
“Why are you for millions of Americans not having healthcare and millions more being driven into crippling medical debt that only benefits the bottom line of insurance companies?”
#ReframeTheDebate
2/9" / Twitter

Because progressives are dumb and don't have a clue that if doctors are on medicare for all, they make less money. This means they take cash payments from the rich so they could cut in line and get their treatment faster. It's cute that progressives think doctors are perfect angels who will treat people "in the order they show up." LOL!

Did you also know that cancer ISN'T COVERED by free healthcare for all? So, good luck if you get cancer and have to take out a 500K loan only to die anyway and have your family owe the debt! Yay Bernie! Woo woo!

Melanie D'Arrigo for Congress on Twitter: "It’s not:
“Why are you against a #GreenNewDeal?”
It’s:
“Why are you for the destruction of our planet for profit?”
#ReframeTheDebate
3/9" / Twitter

There is going to be no destruction. It's a hoax. We are against using taxpayer dollars to fund hoaxes. Pretty simple.

Melanie D'Arrigo for Congress on Twitter: "It’s not:
“Why are you against #FreePublicCollege?”
It’s:
“Why are you for higher education as an option only for the rich and those willing to accept decades of debt?”
#ReframeTheDebate
4/9" / Twitter

Because some people will only go to college and party and will end up failing out. Oh, but they can just go back again since it's free and fail out again! Our schools will be overrun by slackers who only want to go to college to party. If you have to pay for it yourself, you end up taking it more seriously. It's called responsibility. Why do you think lottery winners piss away their winnings? Because it was just handed to them. They didn't have to work for it. So, it's less valuable to them. Tell me what's better. A father giving an allowance to his son until hes 30? Or a father who tells his son to "get a job" by age 16?

Melanie D'Arrigo for Congress on Twitter: "It’s not:
“Why are you against housing as a human right?”
It’s:
“Why are you for homelessness?”
#ReframeTheDebate
5/9" / Twitter

If the government is going to give free housing to the homeless, then why not every American? WHy should the homeless get special treatmen just because they refuse to work or better themselves? There's a reason peopele say, "I'm not givin that homeless guy $5. He's just going to buy booze with it." Give them free stuff, they lose all incentive to actully get a job and get back on their feet. It's pretty simple. It's not fair to everyone else that has to work and afford housing on their own. Just giving it to slackers is highly stupid.

Melanie D'Arrigo for Congress on Twitter: "It’s not:
“Why are you against the repeal of the Hyde Amendment?”
It’s:
“Why are you only pro-choice for certain women and not all women?”
#ReframeTheDebate
6/9" / Twitter

Who's pro-choice for only certain women? What an outright lie!

Melanie D'Arrigo for Congress on Twitter: "It’s not:
“Why are you against wealth equality?”
It’s:
“Why are you for the super-rich not paying their fair share and getting richer at the expense of every other American?”
#ReframeTheDebate
7/9" / Twitter

It's actually the bottom 50% that doesn't pay their fair share of taxes. The top 1% pay the most taxes and make our economy grow. Basically everyone not in the top 1% is leeching off of them. So, it's an outright lie to say the rich don't pay their fair share. They pay MORE than their fair share.

Melanie D'Arrigo for Congress on Twitter: "It’s not:
“Why are you against ending corporate influence in politics?”
It’s:
“Why are you for corporations paying politicians to promote policies that go against your best interests?”
#ReframeTheDebate
8/9" / Twitter

The word is donations. You can't outlaw donations just because the money comes from people in corporations. People have been donating to Bernie because they want Bernie to enact the policies that they want. Why isn't this frowned upon? It's still people trying to give money to a politician to enact their policies.

Melanie D'Arrigo for Congress on Twitter: "It’s not:
“Why are you against paying a living wage?”
It’s:
“Why are you for millions of Americans living in poverty while working 40 hours a week?”
#ReframeTheDebate
9/9" / Twitter

I'm not "for" Americans doing that. That is the reality of having a low skill set and not wanting to better yourself in life. Not everyone can be a billionaire. Instead of whining about the billionaires, do something with your own life. Maybe don't come home from work and binge watch netflix until you pass out drunk before bed. Take night classes instead. DO SOMETHING!!!!

That was extremely easy to debunk. Why are progressives so stupid?

 

[ZiprHead]

Did you also know that cancer ISN'T COVERED by free healthcare for all? So, good luck if you get cancer and have to take out a 500K loan only to die anyway and have your family owe the debt! Yay Bernie! Woo woo!

Where did you get that idea, Youtube comments?

 

[Patooka]

blah blah blah, daily wire talking points, blah blah blah, no real facts or evidence, blah blah blah unsubstantiated opinions blah blah blah.
That was extremely easy to debunk. Why are progressives so stupid?

Yeah, you showed him .

There are two ways of identifying an idiot; someone who refuses to believe what is true and someone who continues to believe what isn't true. Not sure why I'm posting this, it just seems relevant for some reason.

 

[Half-Life]

Did you also know that cancer ISN'T COVERED by free healthcare for all? So, good luck if you get cancer and have to take out a 500K loan only to die anyway and have your family owe the debt! Yay Bernie! Woo woo!

Where did you get that idea, Youtube comments?

That's just how it is. It's too expensive for medicare to be able to cover cancer treatment on top of regular problems. So, it has to be cut out. That's the risk you take.

I also believe that if people smoke cigarettes and get lung cancer, they don't deserve treatment. They took the risk. Nobody's fault but their own.

 

[Half-Life]

blah blah blah, daily wire talking points, blah blah blah, no real facts or evidence, blah blah blah unsubstantiated opinions blah blah blah.
That was extremely easy to debunk. Why are progressives so stupid?

Yeah, you showed him .

There are two ways of identifying an idiot; someone who refuses to believe what is true and someone who continues to believe what isn't true. Not sure why I'm posting this, it just seems relevant for some reason.

No refutations of my points.

Hope you enjoy waiting for your surgery only to find out some rich guy paid the doctor a handsome sum of cash to cut in front of you. Hope you're still singing Bernie's praises then!

 

[Patooka]

blah blah blah, daily wire talking points, blah blah blah, no real facts or evidence, blah blah blah unsubstantiated opinions blah blah blah.
That was extremely easy to debunk. Why are progressives so stupid?

Yeah, you showed him .

There are two ways of identifying an idiot; someone who refuses to believe what is true and someone who continues to believe what isn't true. Not sure why I'm posting this, it just seems relevant for some reason.

No refutations of my points.

Hope you enjoy waiting for your surgery only to find out some rich guy paid the doctor a handsome sum of cash to cut in front of you. Hope you're still singing Bernie's praises then!

I live in a country where that's not a problem, mate. And none of your points had any facts so there was nothing for me to refute.

 

[Half-Life]

No refutations of my points.

Hope you enjoy waiting for your surgery only to find out some rich guy paid the doctor a handsome sum of cash to cut in front of you. Hope you're still singing Bernie's praises then!

I live in a country where that's not a problem, mate. And none of your points had any facts so there was nothing for me to refute.

Your country has no rich people who bribe doctors? Wow! Your country must have the best most perfect people in the world!

 

[Patooka]

No refutations of my points.

Hope you enjoy waiting for your surgery only to find out some rich guy paid the doctor a handsome sum of cash to cut in front of you. Hope you're still singing Bernie's praises then!

I live in a country where that's not a problem, mate. And none of your points had any facts so there was nothing for me to refute.

Your country has no rich people who bribe doctors? Wow! Your country must have the best most perfect people in the world!

Nope, just a place that I would prefer to live rather than be your neighbour.

 

[ZiprHead]

Did you also know that cancer ISN'T COVERED by free healthcare for all? So, good luck if you get cancer and have to take out a 500K loan only to die anyway and have your family owe the debt! Yay Bernie! Woo woo!

Where did you get that idea, Youtube comments?

That's just how it is. It's too expensive for medicare to be able to cover cancer treatment on top of regular problems. So, it has to be cut out. That's the risk you take.

I also believe that if people smoke cigarettes and get lung cancer, they don't deserve treatment. They took the risk. Nobody's fault but their own.

So, no proof of your claim, just repeating the stupidity.

Does Medicare cover cancer treatment? It certainly does. The American Cancer Society reports that Medicare pays for nearly half of the $74 billion spent on cancer treatment each year.

https://boomerbenefits.com/medicares-coverage-for-cancer/

 

[Lumpenproletariat]

Why are you against letting companies produce more in order to meet the demand and increase everyone's living standard?

"It’s not: "Why are you against ending corporate influence in politics?”

It’s: “Why are you for corporations paying politicians to promote policies that go against your best interests?”

No, it's not that. It's:

Why are you for corporations paying politicians to allow more global trade and outsourcing and cheap labor which increases production and thus raises your living standard and makes everyone better off? instead of forcing them to pay higher labor costs and other higher costs which drive up the prices all consumers have to pay and thus drive down everyone's living standard? like the demands of the Luddites 200 years ago drove down (or would have driven down) everyone's living standard in order to protect the uncompetitive "jobs" of the Luddite crybabies?

"It’s not:

“Why are you against paying a living wage?”

It’s:

“Why are you for millions of Americans living in poverty while working 40 hours a week?”

No, it's not that either. It's:

Why are you for allowing millions of Americans to work by permitting employers to hire them at a wage/benefits level that's worth it to the employer to pay them to get the work done (instead of making such jobs illegal)? and which workers otherwise would be excluded from working (contributing to the economy and thus increasing total production) and making us all better off?