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Susan C. Strong, Ph.D., is the founder and executive director of the Metaphor Project. She is also the author of our new book, MOVE OUR MESSAGE: HOW TO GET AMERICA'S EAR, available on our website. The mission of the Metaphor Project is helping Democrats, liberals and progressives learn how to mainstream their messages by framing them as part of the best American story.
Monday, April 29, 2013 Say: "Make Social Security Fair." (11 comments)
This article suggests that we need to get beyond just saying no to the chained CPI benefit cut to Social Security. It's time to raise the fairness issue about the income cap, and the threat to senior, veteran, and disabled rights that it and the proposed chained CPI cut pose.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013 Guns, Nukes, Dollars, and the One Big Family Frame (1 comments)
This article points out that the sequester cuts do not apply to new nuclear weapons, which the Obama administration, is actually planning to create. Details of those plans are included in the argument that the American "one big family" frame is growing in importance again, given G.O.P. defeats and disarray, and that while we are urging Congress to enact gun limits,it's time to push on nuke reductions too.
Monday, February 4, 2013 Tell the Media Again: Say "Safety," not "Control!" (9 comments)
This article makes the case that those media outlets still using the phrase "gun control" are harming the cause of gun reform and shows that better language had already gone viral until the media persisting in using "control."
Saturday, December 29, 2012 Say gun "safety," not gun "control!" (8 comments)
This very short article is about how to frame the gun law issue in the way most likely to garner wide support, even among grass roots NRA members.
Friday, December 14, 2012 Say: Cut Military "Corporations" Instead (2 comments)
This article lays out better ways to shape and frame our push to cut military spending, right now and in the future. Activists and policy makers can use these suggestions re the current fiscal cliff debate, and in the years to come. Budget battles are never really over, and it's never too late to improve!
Friday, November 2, 2012 Counter-frame the Economy! Three Ways to Avoid Their Words (3 comments)
This article looks at the ways we can counter-frame the G.O.P.'s language about the economy. It reports on a new analysis of what the G.O.P.'s metaphors for economic subjects do to peoples' heads, and offers progressive alternatives that will turn the issues around for us instead.
Friday, September 21, 2012 How to "Speak American" When You GOTV (3 comments)
This article lays out the steps for preparing to "speak American" as we progressives fan out to work on the phonebanks, calling parties, and precinct walking that experts now say may make all the difference in the upcoming election.
Friday, August 10, 2012 Counter-frame It! How to Stop Using Their Words (6 comments)
This article covers the basics of how to counter the Right's maddening sound bites and slogans. Three specific methods are spelled out, and examples of each are included. In addition, four typical Left slogan framing traps are described and diagnosed.
Thursday, June 28, 2012 Let's Get Beyond Left "Groupspeak!" (6 comments)
This article suggests that the Left suffers badly from a disease: ineffective, selfdefeating "groupthink" and "groupspeak," but that help is at hand. After giving recent examples of progressive "groupspeak" heard at recent national conferences, the author suggest fixes for them and points to tools and new resources,including The Little Blue Book, that can bring about a comprehensive reform of progressive messaging.
Friday, June 1, 2012 Let's All Say "Cards on the Table," Again! (1 comments)
This piece suggests a slogan and a metaphor we could all use to push for a new "disclosure" campaign, given the horrors of this political ad season and some promising news re the FEC and a new DISCLOSE bill initiative afoot in the Senate.
Friday, April 13, 2012 We're Pro-100%____? (1 comments)
This article suggests some "American truthbites" for getting the message of Van Jones' new book, Rebuild the Dream, out to a wider audience.
Friday, March 2, 2012 Reframing Climate Change Now (12 comments)
This article proposes that we need to change the way we frame climate change for the general public, since the climate change deniers are still winning. I include eight substantial reframes for handling the topic when trying to persuade the general American public.
Friday, January 27, 2012 Re Iran: Say "Think Outside the Box!" (2 comments)
This article suggests that we all should try to crowd source some "out of the box" thinking about the latest Middle East crisis between Iran, Israel, and others, instead of just fatalistically waiting for the worst case scenario to happen. The article includes a few unusual ideas, and calls for getting more "cool it options" on the table too.
Saturday, December 3, 2011 Protect the 99% Right Now! (13 comments)
This article promotes the idea that Occupy should do some work on the immediate need to extend unemployment benefits and the payroll tax cut right now. The piece includes frames and facts that will help, plus ideas for Pentagon nuclear spending cuts 100% of Americans could love.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011 Spring The Super Trap! (2 comments)
This article suggests that we use the phrase "The Super Trap" for all of the ways the 1% are exploiting the 99% these days. (A review of what those ways are is included.) The piece goes on to point out that when the Senate Super Committee makes its decision about new cuts, the trap will close in even more on everyday Americans. The article recommends that we use the slogan "Spring the Super Trap!" to help move our agenda.
Monday, September 26, 2011 Speaking to America's Broken Heart (6 comments)
This article suggests ways to frame our messages for a discouraged and frustrated America, ways that go much deeper than just giving them a lot of facts or suggesting government action that may not seem quite credible right now. We must think much bigger than that. The article suggests some things to include.
Saturday, July 30, 2011 Telling the "Set America Free!" Story (1 comments)
This article models how to tell a new American story about the way many of our people are taking action at the local, regional,and state level to build a new economy that can free us from corporate control.
Thursday, May 26, 2011 Say Credit Rating, not Debt Limit! (3 comments)
This article suggests some language for countering the Tea Party/Republican hostage game re raising the debt limit. I propose that the word "debt" is causing a lot of trouble with the public; the real issue is America's "credit rating." Let's say that instead!
Monday, April 11, 2011 Use the "One Big Family" Frame! (1 comments)
This article suggests that we need to go big when we resist the Tea Party coup by invoking the "One Big Family" frame. That frame refers to a classic way of doing politics in our country, one that has kept us safe from the crackpot extremism the Tea Party is now trying to cram down our throats.
Thursday, February 24, 2011 American Dream or American Sword? (3 comments)
This article contrasts the way our American dream has spread to the Middle East with the impotence of military measures today and suggests that our national security depends now more on saving the American dream and ensuring a sustainable energy future by taking funds from the Pentagon to do the job.
Sunday, January 30, 2011 Framing "Our American Budget" (1 comments)
This article suggests tested language progressives can use for framing our American budget and what it means for our country, as we go into the critical budget/default prevention debate in the House in mid-February.
Sunday, December 12, 2010 Framing the Right's Nuclear Gamble (1 comments)
This article, Framing the Right's Nuclear Gamble, suggests we add to our progressive pr some satire about right wing senators gambling with the new START treaty, just to stop Obama. It reviews all the many possible really bad nuclear outcomes of stalling or stopping ratification now or in 2011, in what I hope is a witty, tongue in cheek way.
Friday, November 19, 2010 Countering the Right's "American" Con (1 comments)
This article looks at the "American story" frames the Right used to win on November 2 and suggests ways we can use our own "American stories" to fight back.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 Let's "Reinvent America!" (5 comments)
This article suggests some framing language for naming a "big tent" progressive movement that can include all of us and meet the public's hunger for a bigger vision of America than our politics can provide right now.
Thursday, July 22, 2010 Popping The Have's "Credibility Bubble " (3 comments)
This article suggests macro framing language and concepts for attacking the credibility of the Right and other members of the D.C. elite who are again pushing market fundamentalism and other failed "economic recovery" strategies. The piece concludes with a focus on how to motivate voters to get out and vote in November, despite our many disappointments.
Friday, May 28, 2010 Framing "Fair Elections:" The Dream of America! (1 comments)
This piece argues that we should frame the 2010 election as a time to start bringing back the "Dream of America:" government by the people, of the people, and for the people, where elections are clean and fair, not deceptive corporate political advertising campaigns. These things are our birthright, the original political Dream of America! Two recent bills show the way to get there.
Friday, April 30, 2010 Cards on the Table! (1 comments)
This article suggests framing language for talking about the new DISCLOSE bill unveiled today that repairs damage to our democracy done by the terrible Supreme Court Citizens' United decision.
Thursday, April 1, 2010 Got American Breakthrough Language? (3 comments)
This article suggests that having a legislative breakthrough with the health insurance reform bill shows how important "breakthroughs" are right now, and provides a list of other "breakthrough" language we can use as we go through the coming struggles over energy, banking, and immigration reform.
Thursday, February 18, 2010 Blame The "Big Business Thugs!" (1 comments)
This piece argues that our real problem is those "big business thugs" who threaten, bribe and manipulate Congress to ignore the safety and welfare of the American people. We need to name the problem correctly and succinctly, so that American citizens can start taking our country back.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 Say "Rules," Not "Regulation" (1 comments)
The article argues that we should be talking about "rules," not "regulation," re both the financial reform crisis and the energy reform issue, since the word "rules" calls up mainstream accessible sports metaphors about playing by the rules, playing fair, and fair referees, while "regulation" is what the conservatives constantly refuse to accept.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 Framing Earthgate After Copenhagen
This article makes important framing suggestions for the post-Copenhagen struggle to influence Congress re climate change legislation.
