Debate Season: The Olympics of Framing
We’re excited about debate season! Yes, we’re political and policy communication nerds — and this is like the Olympics of framing.
This year’s debates are sure to offer some great lessons in contrasting frames. In fact, the winner of any debate is likely to be the candidate who more compellingly frames the fundamental issues.
For example, look at the competing visions of the American Experience that each candidate outlined in his convention speech:
Individual Freedom, Individual Success That very optimism is uniquely American.
It is what brought us to America. We are a nation of immigrants. We are the children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the ones who wanted a better life, the driven ones, the ones who woke up at night hearing that voice telling them that life in that place called America could be better.
They came not just in pursuit of the riches of this world but for the richness of this life. Freedom. Freedom of religion. Freedom to speak their mind.
Freedom to build a life. And yes, freedom to build a business. With their own hands.
This is the essence of the American experience. Mitt Romney
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Shared Responsibility, Shared Success But we also believe in something called citizenship, a word at the very heart of our founding, at the very essence of our democracy; the idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another, and to future generations.
We believe that when a CEO pays his autoworkers enough to buy the cars that they build, the whole company does better.
We believe that when a family can no longer be tricked into signing a mortgage they can’t afford, that family is protected, but so is the value of other people’s homes, and so is the entire economy…
As citizens, we understand that America is not about what can be done for us. It’s about what can be done by us, together, through the hard and frustrating but necessary work of self-government. That’s what we believe. Barack Obama
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The debate frame clashes are likely to be even more obvious since the candidates will be seeking to highlight contrasts.
During the October 3rd debate we’ll be watching for framing moments — watch this space for some thoughts about the most interesting ones. (Want to share your thoughts? We’ll be on Twitter and Facebook for the debate!)