-
George Lakoff: Take Apart McCain's Phony 'Country Above All' Theme
George Lakoff walked by me, alone, so I bolted out of my chair and asked to talk with him about framing: the next generation.
Main Lakoff point: McCain is sucking up all the oxygen with his false framing that he is "Country Above All" -- that everything he does can be characterized as putting country over other considerations.
Be a maverick? That’s loving the country more than his party. Do what Bush says? That’s obeying his commander in chief. It’s fake, of course, but right now they are winning with this narrative.
They are taking what has traditionally been the Democratic narrative (think of JFK's famous "Ask not what your country can do for you" epigram) and using it for themselves.
Democrats have to take it back by showing McCain is NOT about "Country Above All," that the things he does benefit his friends.
Stay up to date with the latest AlterNet headlines via email
