Republican Control: A Predicament for Democrats & Conservative Framing Language - Research Paper

Introduction

The idea of the Republican control of both houses and the white house leads to predicament to the Democratic Party. George Lakoff who is a UC Berkeley professor explains how the conservatives use framing language to dominate in politics. Conservatives generally understand what brings unity among them and ways to talk about it. The Conservatives also continuously research the ideal ways in regards to expressing their ideas. According to the explanation of the framing language, each word is well-defined comparative to a conceptual framework.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Framing Language Influence on Political Debate

George Lakoff example of a framing language is a situation where the word revolt is used to mean an unfairly ruled population. In a case where the word voter is added in front of revolt, the metaphorical meaning changes to voter oppression. During the acceptance speech of Arnold Schwarzenegger, use of framing language exhibits by the way he said winning of people leads to politics loss. In this scenario, he presents himself and the Republican Party as the people and the politicians from the Democratic Party framed as politics. The Democratic Party legislators exhibit as people's enemies.

Reasons Why the Conservatives Are Better At Framing

The Conservatives are better at framing since they have invested heavily in the framing language and ideas. Examples are the 1973 heritage foundation, which is an educational and research institution (Powell, 2003). The main aims of the foundation are to promote and formulate public policies of the conservatives. The systems explanations are on limited government, free enterprise, individual freedom, strong national defense, and traditional American values. Hoover Institute is a conservative institute. The institute, which is a Stanford university unit basic principle, includes representative government, personal freedom, peace, and safeguarding of the American system. American Enterprise Institute presents conservative ideas and researches on government, economics, political and social welfare. According to Paul Weyrich who is the founder of heritage foundation, 1500 radio talk shows for conservatives exists.

Progressive's Failure at Framing

The progressives fail to establish the think tanks since their conceptual system is in terms of a belief system, which concentrates on the value system. The progressive's ideas are on helping people who require help where the donors and the progressive foundations donate to grassroots organizations. The conceptual system of the progressives is known as the" nurturant parent." The idea exhibits a nurturing parent family model, which states that a person must work towards making the world better. An example is a situation where a child is generally born well, but parents can make him better. Nurturing entails empathy and being responsible for taking care of oneself and others.

Specified policies include protection by the government, universal education, accountability, and public service. The conservatives, on the other hand, do not dictate on what the contributions they make ought to do but they generally give freedom on the use of the grants. The moral system of the conservatives places their value on defending and preserving the "strict father" system. The model explains that the world is complicated and dangerous and the children must get discipline since they are born badly. Through discipline, the moral authority of the strict father who defends and supports the family generally tells the wife what to do and ensures the kids are taught right from wrong.

Schwarzenegger Appeals to Conservatives

In regards to the Schwarzenegger case, he appealed to conservatives using the strict father model, which presents moral authority and discipline and punishment for any wrongdoing. The domestic and foreign policy of President Bush administration exhibits father model. Schwarzenegger movies depict the model since the characters he plays represents a moral system.

Framing Language and Tax Relief

The tax relief also presents framing language. The frame word was a relief since affliction accompanied it. The idea represents the administer of the relief as a hero and any individual stopping them is viewed as a person who wants the affliction to continue and regarded as a villain (Lakoff, 2006).

Examples of Issues That Progressives Should Try To Reframe

Examples of framing language that the progressives can use include the California energy crisis, which represents grand theft. Since it was as a result of Pete Wilson deregulation, Davis ought to have used it against Arnold Schwarzenegger from the beginning. The gay marriage, which the conservatives have made it a central topic in rallies, can represent framing. Although the Americans are generally against gay marriage, they do not support their discrimination. Since marriage concerns sex, gay marriage interprets to gay sex; thus gay marriage approval means gay sex approval. Since most Americans fail to approve gay sex, it does not automatically result in gay people discrimination. The idea represents a rational position, which is perfect, and which if framed as gay marriage can result in an adverse reaction. The progressives can change the issue to be right to marry or freedom to marry which represents a different scenario since few individuals would assert that they failed to support the right of marrying the person one chooses. Since the conservatives have framed the issue, the polls fail to ask the question

Democratic Presidential Candidates and Framing

Generally, none of the Democratic presidential candidates comprehends the framing importance. By 1973, the conservatives had an understanding of framing, and by 1980, Ronald Reagan understood framing. For a candidate to be able to refer to framing, the ideas must be present and ready to be referenced. The politicians do not necessarily have to put the views of the public but other people.

Relationship Between Progressive, Liberal, and Free Market

Lakoff explains the links between progressive, liberal and free market. The aspect of socialism in progressive has ceased, and now it means nurturant morality. The idea implies their choose peace when possible, minority rights, environmentalism, civil liberties, and social justice. Traditional liberalism exhibits rational thought history experienced due to Enlightenment. Generally, after the Second World War and Vietnam War, the liberal term means an individual who supports new deal of Franklin Roosevelt, foreign policy and active military.

The term progressive is chosen to contrast with the conservative. According to liberalism, every aspect follows logically and every one is entirely rational; for example telling people the facts is enough. An example is if the people get information on tax cuts benefits to the rich people, the liberals think the revolt will be automatic. The idea fails to work, but the liberals fail to understand another framing language involved. Lakoff discusses the view of whether the free market is an example of framing. He agrees it is a framing example, but the term is difficult to identify since it is deeply rooted. The metaphor in regards to the market being a nature's force requires consideration.

The idea is according to Adam Smith who explains that if an individual follows their profit, maximization of profits of all by nature exhibits. Another metaphor that can combine is wellbeing is wealth. The idea means that doing a favor to an individual means indebtedness and identification of repayment methods. If the two metaphors are combined, the conservatives version presents that if each identifies own wellbeing, maximization by nature of welfare of all presents itself. The plan represents both moral and economic theory.

References

Lakoff, G. (2006). Simple framing. Berkeley, CA: Rockridge Institute. Retrieved from https://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2003/10/27_lakoff_p2.shtml

Powell, B. A. (2003). Framing the issues: UC Berkeley professor George Lakoff tells how conservatives use language to dominate politics. UC Berkeley News, 27. Retrieved from https://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2003/10/27_lakoff.shtml