Frameshop

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A Repair Shop for Political Language
Frameshop is not just a clearing house for my opinions. It's a "repairshop." It's a noisy, dirty place. There's grease on our policy coveralls. Broken sound bite pieces are lying around in open bins. Protective eyewear is required at all times.

I begin with the idea that political debate in this country is a highway filled with language long due for repairs. During election time, political debate becomes a racetrack. Even the fasts phrases will crash and burn after a few laps if not properly maintained. In debate like in driving: paint looks pretty, but it's what's under the hood that matters.

Tuning up every phrase in political debate is a big project. It will take time, connections and money. Lots of money. It's not a short term project. It requires more than just a dab of oil and a tightened bolt here and there. Language that lasts must be built a solid underframe of core American values.

Re-articulating all core American values is too big for Frameshop alone. But there are real problems to repair in this country that are just too urgent to wait. Frameshop is one part of the larger effort to rebuild and reframe political debate from the ground up. With each phrase brough into Frameshop for a tune up, political debate becomes a safer place for all drivers. The more terms repaired, the greater the impact will be.

How will it work?
At Frameshop we will:

1. Identify faulty political langauge
2. Explain the problem clearly
3. Estimate the cost of not doing repairs
4. Realign the frame
5. Provide new language for immediate use

Frameshop will identify language that invokes or reinforces Conservative ideas, it will explain how those ideas work, and it will propose new langauge to be used to invoke frames that better serve the future of this country.

Frameshop is not an exercise. It is not a think tank. It is a repair shop. Language is towed into Frameshop smoking and sputtering, but drives away purring like a kitten.

Who works here?
Frameshop is manged and staffed by Dr. Jeffrey Feldman, an licensed mechanic specializing in all models of politics and communication.

I will tow individual phrases into Frameshop, hoist them up onto the lift, offer the initial diagnosis and then start immediate repairs. From that point on, everybody is invited to roll up their sleeves and offer suggestions in the comments. I will try my best to synthesize discussion and bring it up into each Frameshop session using [UPDATES].

The comments will also be a place to identify the next political phrase to be brought into Frameshop for repair. While each Frameshop session will be limited to repairing one phrase at a time, suggesting new phrases will be an important part of the work.

Each Frameshop session will be clearly marked: "Frameshop: [phrase to be repaired]." Please feel free to circulate the sessions, making sure not to alter the original posting and to include the proper attributes and links back to this site.

The more people who come to Frameshop the more impact it will have.

The Rules
Like all good auto repair shops, it is expected that most people will choose to sit in the waiting room, drink bad coffee, and flip through old copies of Sports Illustrated. Feel free to stop by Frameshop without participating.

Keep in mind: Frameshop iss a place for production, not destruction. We repair phrases so they can get back out on the road, not for the pure pleasure of maintenance. If you have a political concept on blocks in your front yard, fantastic. Keep working on it in the evenings and on the weekends. Frameshop is not a hobby.

Please use productive langauge in the comments. Everything offered will be considered seriously. We may not know the best way to fix a problem at first, so be patient, be creative and leave bad attitudes in the lobby. It's never safe to operate power tools angry.

Get the Word Out
Once a phrase has been repaired, the real work begins. We have to start sending this repaired language back out onto the media highway. The stakes are high. The more we can repair the language, the more we can reframe the entire debate.

Safety goggles on. Sleeves rolled up. Pot of coffee next to the toolbox.

via Grandpa Eddie