Frame Shop: The Blame Frame (via Daily Kos Diary)

[librechik]

great tactical article from daily Kos

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/4/22/145750/151

snip:
How does this work, exactly?
The answer is to translate the dynamic of a difficult conversation between two people into a national political debate between two parties and a third, silent party to the debate: the American public.

When the Swift Boat ads ran during the 2004 presidential campaign, for example, at first the damage done was that John Kerry's character was besmirched. That was a real problem because Kerry, wanting to be the leader of the armed forces, could not seem to get a way from the image of a man who undermined the armed forces.

But the real damage came from Kerry not understanding how to handle the blame frame.Kerry's first instinct was to just avoid the issue altogether. Rather than allowing himself to be blamed, he just didn't respond. Bad choice. When blame is unanswered, it sticks...
snip
...The solution would have been for Kerry to take control of the debate about war by turning the discussion from blame to contribution.

Switching from Blame to Contribution

Putting aside blame to discuss contribution is fundamental act of crisis management leadership and it is a role that Democrats need to take up in every debate if they want to stay ahead of the GOP. The contribution frame is reached by introducing a very basic dynamic into an exchange. Rather than blaming the other person or party at the table, the goal is to lead both parties to an understanding of the crisis, and then take the lead in proposing a solution."

more good stuff at the link--clear examples and techniques

[neuvocat]

1. The GOP likes to run on wedge issues.

The theory is that it divides the electorate and it is easier to get what they want. They've basically been doing that since Reagan's term (if not earlier).