(12 comments) SHARE        Friday, March 2, 2012
Reframing Climate Change Now 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.

(1 comments) SHARE        Friday, September 12, 2014
Framing Climate Change Action Now: Advice, Slogans, & the "Necessity" Frame This article contains three things: general advice for framing climate action messages for next week's marches, actual slogan suggestions, and a VIP link to one version of the "necessity" defense story about the wonderful DA in Fall River, who joined us because it is a "necessity" to act now to prevent more climate damage!

(18 comments) SHARE        Friday, March 27, 2015
Countering the GOP "Sabotage America" Campaign This article suggests a strategy and a general frame to characterize what the GOP Congress is doing, now fully revealed in the budgets both houses have passed. It also includes some positive frames we can use to call for what should be happening instead.

(10 comments) SHARE        Friday, October 2, 2015
"Corporate Welfare:" Kidnapped and Brainwashed This article points to a new Right wing framing strategy closely embraced by the Kochs to hijack progressive frames like "corporate welfare," changing their meaning in political speech by adding ideas to them that we do not endorse. I call this process "kidnapping and brainwashing" our frames. The article explains how they are doing it and what to do about it.

(9 comments) SHARE        Monday, February 4, 2013
Tell the Media Again: Say "Safety," not "Control!" 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."

(6 comments) SHARE        Friday, August 10, 2012
Counter-frame It! How to Stop Using Their Words 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.

(11 comments) SHARE        Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Say: "Stop the GOP war on America: (fill in the blanks). " This article suggests ways we can frame the GOP assault on America, Americans, and American values by using variants of "Stop the GOP War on America:------." It also gives a rationale for using the "war on. . ." frame in this context, and answers other objections activists might have to this frame.

(3 comments) SHARE        Monday, April 28, 2014
Say "Let's get to climate safety fast!" (Reframing Divestment Now) This article suggests that the IPCC report and new moves by fossil fuel companies call for a change in our "divestment" framing. That should include extending the idea of "divesting" to fossil fuel companies and Congressional reps too. The article includes some examples of exactly what to say this point now.

(1 comments) SHARE        Thursday, January 30, 2020
Framing #ClimateDamage for the #ClimateHoldouts This article gives reasons why we need new frames to describe #ClimateDamage to the #ClimateHoldouts. It also includes some suggestions for these new frames.

(5 comments) SHARE        Tuesday, September 6, 2016
The Hope: Grass Roots Bipartisans at Work Right Now This long form report about the real grass roots wave of bipartisan renewal happening all over our country right now is very timely, because it shows that the bitter political paralysis in D.C. can change. The article contains many links for direct access to contacts and info about how local, regional, and state citizens are doing it.

(1 comments) SHARE        Sunday, July 7, 2019
Say: "Move America Forward?" This article offers an idea for the 2020 Democratic campaign slogan, along with a wealth of free links and suggestions for activists to use in coming up with their own versions, both for the campaign itself and for their own 2020 issue slogans.

(1 comments) SHARE        Monday, July 29, 2019
Use Smart Words to Stop #NukeDoomsday This article shows how two common myths about nuclear weapons, and the words that evoke them, are getting in the way of new policies to cut the constant risk of a #NukeDoomsday. We can change people's minds about this threat if we and our candidates use the right language.

(3 comments) SHARE        Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Springing the GOP Trap This article contains an extensive primer with examples of how to counter GOP slogans and frames with effective language of our own. Tactics and pitfalls to avoid are included.

(9 comments) SHARE        Monday, November 4, 2013
Framing Climate Change Action Now This article provides American Framing ideas on climate change action for three kinds of audiences: those who are already convinced but in despair and ignoring the issue, those who are not yet convinced, and for the general public we'd like to enlist in shaming the fossil fuel industry for their denial, their funding of deniers, and their refusal to face the issue.

(13 comments) SHARE        Saturday, December 3, 2011
Protect the 99% Right Now! 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.

(1 comments) SHARE        Friday, September 22, 2017
Reframe "climate change," in 3 Steps! This blog suggests some new and more powerful ways to reframe "climate change," explaining why we need to do this, and how to think about it.

(7 comments) SHARE        Tuesday, August 1, 2017
How to Write Slogans That Move! (Better than "a better deal!") by Susan C. Strong This article critiques the Democrats' weak new slogan (and platform),"A Better Deal,"shows exactly why the title is so weak, and offers a set of time-tested criteria for creating much better slogans that can go viral with power.

(9 comments) SHARE        Thursday, January 28, 2016
Two American Dreams: Poison or Power? This article explores the two very different American dreams that live in our country, and the two sides of those dreams, in order to suggest ways to draw on their strengths for true progress.

(5 comments) SHARE        Monday, January 30, 2017
Getting Heard Beyond the Choir This article lays out a set of language tools for reaching beyond those already resisting Trump/Bannon's outrages now, to Trump voters who will also be unhappy soon. To succeed, we will need more than "after the fact" resistance from progressives.

(1 comments) SHARE        Friday, August 24, 2018
Framing Our Climate March Messages to Persuade: September 2018 This article provides an overview of the best way to frame our September 8th Climate March signs and slogans, and it includes many specific suggestions as well.

(1 comments) SHARE        Saturday, November 21, 2015
Framing Climate Change Action Now: An Update This piece summarizes the best of new, expert sources on framing climate change for the public and framing climate change action for everyone. It also contains my suggestions for framing the three major prongs of our climate action strategy in a way that I hope can help movement organizers work together smoothly.

(3 comments) SHARE        Thursday, June 15, 2017
Say "Build a common sense American future!" This article makes the case that our best tactic now and going into 2018 is calling for a "common sense" U.S. future. The piece includes specific examples of why this is the right way to go. It also demonstrates how to use future GOP/Trump inanities to make this case.

(1 comments) SHARE        Friday, April 24, 2015
Say "Rebate," not "Dividend" This article explains why we should be calling for carbon fee & "rebate" laws at every level of government now. Since many of these proposals are now called "fee & dividend," there is a problem with the public understanding the ideas behind the proposals. Framing the payback to citizens from carbon fees charged fossil fuel companies as a "rebate" should make the idea of owning the air easier to teach.

(1 comments) SHARE        Tuesday, March 11, 2014
National Security: Going “Up” or “Down?” This article starts by noting some key phrases in President Obama's SOTU about our need to get off a permanent war footing, and uses that to argue that U.S. wars, war prep, mega-spying, and drone attacks have now reduced our national security drastically, in a world that has become a true global village today. Four important sources are also cited in this piece.

(3 comments) SHARE        Saturday, June 25, 2016
Redeem Our Nation's Honor! This article proposes a frame that could express simply what we need to do about the rising tide of hate and intolerance in our country: redeem our nation's honor. The article includes links to a number of excellent resources for expanding on that work, as well as suggestions for ways to frame various parts of messages we need.

(5 comments) SHARE        Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Let's "Reinvent America!" 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.

(1 comments) SHARE        Saturday, May 30, 2015
Say: "Smart on Prison Dollars" not "Smart on Crime" This article suggests a new frame for the burgeoning prison reform effort that is now threatened by presidential candidates in thrall to the private prison lobby. That industry requires a steady flow of new prisoners just to keep up their profit margins. There are strong counter efforts afoot to keep prison reform alive, but the language we use about it is going to really matter in 2015-2016.

(3 comments) SHARE        Thursday, July 22, 2010
Popping The Have's "Credibility Bubble " 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.

(3 comments) SHARE        Thursday, May 26, 2011
Say Credit Rating, not Debt Limit! 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!

(1 comments) SHARE        Thursday, October 11, 2018
GOTV Plus: Revisiting How to frame it "American" Now This article is a compact review of how to "speak American" when doing GOTV. It contains resources to help everyone remind voters of what we Americans believe we all deserve and who we are at our best.

(1 comments) SHARE        Monday, April 3, 2017
Framing Our March Signs to Persuade This article provides a complete mini-tutorial in framing our messages to persuade by "speaking American," whether we are making signs for our protest marches, lobbying our legislators, or doing voter outreach.

(4 comments) SHARE        Thursday, November 20, 2014
A Watershed Metaphor for These Times This article is about an important metaphor we can use right now in this difficult moment. It suggests a direct, grass roots based approach to dealing with the corrupt corporate hold on our governments at every level, and the article provides examples and links to important resources.

(1 comments) SHARE        Saturday, December 3, 2016
Say: "Clean Energy Jobs Now!" This article suggests an updated approach to framing climate protection action now, given the Trump victory and the nature of the GOP-dominated Congress we have now. The blog contains framing language suggestions for focusing on clean energy jobs that stay home in the U.S., and could appeal to Trump voters. Getting them to lobby for these is the best outcome!

(2 comments) SHARE        Wednesday, February 14, 2018
What "#(Americans)StepUp _______" Can Do Right Now This article shows how we can boost our spirits with some good news about things people are doing locally to counter DC destruction, as well as stimulate the creativity that will lead to a rebirth of our nation after the DC demolition derby is a thing of the past.

(3 comments) SHARE        Friday, April 15, 2016
America 2016: Death Spiral or Rebirth? This article makes the case for the idea that America is actually experiencing a difficult rebirth process right now, as the 2016 presidential election campaign has stirred up much that has been lying dormant for too long. The article is full of examples of the many constituencies now being active in the rebirth process.

(6 comments) SHARE        Monday, September 26, 2011
Speaking to America's Broken Heart 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.

SHARE        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.

(10 comments) SHARE        Friday, October 17, 2014
Framing a "Why vote?" Message This article describes some simple framing steps we can all take to help ramp up voter turn out in November, 2014.

(8 comments) SHARE        Saturday, December 29, 2012
Say gun "safety," not gun "control!" 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.

(3 comments) SHARE        Friday, November 2, 2012
Counter-frame the Economy! Three Ways to Avoid Their Words 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.

(1 comments) SHARE        Saturday, April 14, 2018
How to use "#SharedSecurityWorks. #PreemptiveWarFails!" Now This article suggests important frames for the situation we face right now with Bolton and Pompeo, plus new U.S.strikes on Syria. Included in the article is a wealth of resources to help you fill out your argument, once you have gotten attention with your remarks about how #SharedSecurityWorks, and #PreemptiveWarFails.

(2 comments) SHARE        Saturday, October 15, 2016
Re Climate Action: "Protect & Prevent" or "Make War & Control"? This article suggests better framing for our climate action messages to the general public than "make war" and "control." It's based on a review of the most up-to-date framing research for this issue, and it argues that using positive incentives will help a President Hillary Clinton much better.

(2 comments) SHARE        Friday, January 27, 2012
Re Iran: Say "Think Outside the Box!" 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.

(3 comments) SHARE        Monday, July 9, 2018
How to frame it "American" Now: Summer 2018 This article explains how to frame our messages now in ways that evoke the best American values for the majority of Americans. It is full of resources and links to even more helping tools.

(5 comments) SHARE        Monday, December 2, 2013
Reframing "Obamacare" Now This article argues that the President must dump the "Obamacare" frame fast, and jump-start some "American truth bites" about what's working re the ACA, and why we need it. The article contains some framing suggestions for all of us too and important background in the footnotes and the first comment.

(3 comments) SHARE        Thursday, February 24, 2011
American Dream or American Sword? 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.

(2 comments) SHARE        Friday, December 14, 2012
Say: Cut Military "Corporations" Instead 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!

(3 comments) SHARE        Monday, September 1, 2014
Stopping the Mega-Corp Coup This article turns a searchlight on the framing trick mega-corps have used to con Congress, and suggests new, more popularly accessible, empowering framing for abstract, metaphysical sounding terms like "corporate state." It also zeroes in on important positive news about getting beyond the dangers we face from the mega-corps now.

(3 comments) SHARE        Saturday, July 20, 2013
Say: "True Public Safety Means Prevention!" This article calls attention to the dangerous new conservative frame, "public safety" linked to "crime," provides extensive documentation for the success of cost-saving prevention,and argues that we should tweak their frame as suggested now.

(1 comments) SHARE        Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Guns, Nukes, Dollars, and the One Big Family Frame 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.

(1 comments) SHARE        Sunday, December 12, 2010
Framing the Right's Nuclear Gamble 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.

(11 comments) SHARE        Monday, April 29, 2013
Say: "Make Social Security Fair." 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.

(1 comments) SHARE        Saturday, July 30, 2011
Telling the "Set America Free!" Story 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.

(1 comments) SHARE        Monday, April 11, 2011
Use the "One Big Family" Frame! 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.

(3 comments) SHARE        Friday, September 21, 2012
How to "Speak American" When You GOTV 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.

(3 comments) SHARE        Thursday, April 1, 2010
Got American Breakthrough Language? 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.

(1 comments) SHARE        Wednesday, January 28, 2015
The "One Big Family" Frame in 2015 This article describes encouraging new grass roots efforts to help heal the bitter partisan divide in our country. It shows that the "one big American family" frame is still alive in our land, and that it needs our nurture.

(6 comments) SHARE        Thursday, June 28, 2012
Let's Get Beyond Left "Groupspeak!" 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.

(2 comments) SHARE        Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Spring The Super Trap! 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.

(3 comments) SHARE        Saturday, April 6, 2019
Being Clear About What #TrueAmericanFreedom Means! This article shows how we can counter the GOP's 2020 campaign slogan about "freedom vs.socialism" using a hash tag with some key follow up points. It also makes some suggestions about ways to avoid using GOP language in self-destructive ways.

(1 comments) SHARE        Friday, November 19, 2010
Countering the Right's "American" Con 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.

(3 comments) SHARE        Friday, January 17, 2014
SOS: Framing the Climate Protection Act Now This short piece explains why we must follow the example of Senators Boxer and Sanders in calling a price on carbon a "fee," not a tax, and also why it is necessary to describe money returned to citizens a "rebate," not a dividend.

(1 comments) SHARE        Sunday, January 30, 2011
Framing "Our American Budget" 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.

(1 comments) SHARE        Friday, June 1, 2012
Let's All Say "Cards on the Table," Again! 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.

(1 comments) SHARE        Friday, April 13, 2012
We're Pro-100%____? This article suggests some "American truthbites" for getting the message of Van Jones' new book, Rebuild the Dream, out to a wider audience.

(1 comments) SHARE        Friday, May 28, 2010
Framing "Fair Elections:" The Dream of America! 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.

(1 comments) SHARE        Friday, April 30, 2010
Cards on the Table! 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.

(4 comments) SHARE        Monday, February 29, 2016
Say "Americans deserve a fair market." This article makes the case that we the people must start telling each other the whole "fair market" story. We need to do this to stop the Right wing, corporate oligarchy, and conventional economists from pushing their "free market" trojan horse any further. Flint, MI shows the lengths they will go to to get rid of the regulations that protect the health and safety of Americans. Privatization of it all is their goal.

(1 comments) SHARE        Friday, September 6, 2013
Re Syria: Say "We Can Do Better than Bombs!" This short piece suggests some powerful new "American" sound bites to get Washington's ear right now about alternatives to Mr. Obama's "bomb Syria" plan. Also included are links to resources about alternatives and a note about this being the breakthrough point for a new global norm about avoiding war as enforcement for international law.

(1 comments) SHARE        Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Say "Rules," Not "Regulation" 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.

(1 comments) SHARE        Thursday, February 18, 2010
Blame The "Big Business Thugs!" 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.