Democrats need to speak in language that Americans understand
Debate on health care reform has been raging all summer, but I have to wonder what most Americans have really learned about the serious proposals that Congress is wrangling over? If you asked a random person what they know, they’d probably tell you that they've heard about “death panels” and “pulling the plug on Grandma” and that they are worried about the government taking over the health care system.
What’s going on here? Haven’t Democrats been on the offensive all summer trying to educate voters about the improvements they are trying to make to our broken health care system?
The answer is that they have been trying and failing. Here’s what the American public hears when congressional Democrats explain their health care reform legislation: "...public option…blah blah blah…competition…blah blah blah.” Not too riveting, is it? Understandably, Americans are not very excited about the poorly framed Democratic proposals, and are susceptible to the more succinct and emotional balderdash coming from the insurance lobby and their defenders, the Republicans.
Cognitive scientist and author of Don’t Think of an Elephant, George Lakoff, has a prescription for what ails the Dems: speak about what the public already knows, in other words, give them “the truth that they’ve experienced.” Don’t list policies, instead, remind people about the problems they’ve had with the current system: the insurance company that denied their claim, the long wait times to see a specialist, or the difficulties they've had in getting health insurance with a pre-existing condition.
The right-wing defenders of the insurance giants are using the future threat of these scenarios to scare us, but these things are already happening, right now. Are we so easily fooled?
To win in hand-to-hand combat with Republicans, we must use the strategy that they are already proficient with: go for the gut. Democrats, including President Obama, must speak to the American public at the gut level, the emotional level. There is plenty they could say about the current situation and their plans to fix it that is honest and powerful, in order to help the public understand just how high the stakes are and how the Democrats are the ones that really have their back.
Lakoff suggests one good place to start. Why should we have a “public option?” Wouldn’t it be better to instead have an “American Plan?” Not even a Republican can argue with that bit of messaging.
What’s going on here? Haven’t Democrats been on the offensive all summer trying to educate voters about the improvements they are trying to make to our broken health care system?
The answer is that they have been trying and failing. Here’s what the American public hears when congressional Democrats explain their health care reform legislation: "...public option…blah blah blah…competition…blah blah blah.” Not too riveting, is it? Understandably, Americans are not very excited about the poorly framed Democratic proposals, and are susceptible to the more succinct and emotional balderdash coming from the insurance lobby and their defenders, the Republicans.
Cognitive scientist and author of Don’t Think of an Elephant, George Lakoff, has a prescription for what ails the Dems: speak about what the public already knows, in other words, give them “the truth that they’ve experienced.” Don’t list policies, instead, remind people about the problems they’ve had with the current system: the insurance company that denied their claim, the long wait times to see a specialist, or the difficulties they've had in getting health insurance with a pre-existing condition.
The right-wing defenders of the insurance giants are using the future threat of these scenarios to scare us, but these things are already happening, right now. Are we so easily fooled?
To win in hand-to-hand combat with Republicans, we must use the strategy that they are already proficient with: go for the gut. Democrats, including President Obama, must speak to the American public at the gut level, the emotional level. There is plenty they could say about the current situation and their plans to fix it that is honest and powerful, in order to help the public understand just how high the stakes are and how the Democrats are the ones that really have their back.
Lakoff suggests one good place to start. Why should we have a “public option?” Wouldn’t it be better to instead have an “American Plan?” Not even a Republican can argue with that bit of messaging.
# Posted by Kathleen : 7:49 PM
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