BuzzFlash Reviews

BUZZFLASH REVIEWS

From the Publisher:

For decades, the powerful communications machine of the conservative movement has controlled our national political discourse. One of the biggest obstacles to progressive victory has been seeing what American political speech looks like when it is not "framed" by the Republican noise machine.

Framing the Debate: Famous Presidential Speeches and How Progressives Can Use Them to Change the Conversation (and Win Elections) is about unleashing the power of communication in contemporary progressive politics. The book presents fifteen key speeches by American presidents-George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George Bush-in order to define the big ideas and images-the "frames"-that each speech evokes to show how those framing techniques can be applied to today's political debate in order promote a progressive perspective.

An essential book in today's political climate, Framing the Debate will be instrumental in helping to reshape progressive political language and rhetoric.

Feldman exhorts, "Let's engage the words we hear in the media--not accept them.

Let's break down the keywords we recognize--not repeat them.

Let's generate new ideas presented in our own, more effective messaging--not just complain about what's out there already.

Let's take responsibility for framing the debate everyday--and keep changing the culture of politics through our work.

We've done so much already, but there is still so much important work to be done."

For followers of Lakoff, Feldman is a great and accesible commentator on framing ideas and language to achieve political victory.

Buzzflash should note that Feldman wrote both a humorous and insightful response to a prominent New York Times review that seemed written by someone who had either never read his book or read it and didn't understand it at all.

Feldman's rejoinder can be read at: Feldman Points Out How NYT Sucks Eggs on His Book

We can vouch for Feldman's perspective. After all, he is a BuzzFlash columnist. So obviously, we agree with him.

The NYT loves to blast progressive books, as does the Washington Post. It's quite peculiar, until you realize that the so-called liberal press is really the corporate status-quo media.


BUZZFLASH REVIEWS