This Isn't Personal, It's Strictly Business

This is really fantastic. For anyone like me who tries to actively pay attention to the nuance of mass media, it is a must-listen. The audio clip I'm about to link to does all the explaining you need to hear of how obvious and pathetic the far right has become in selling its ideas. A quick back-story first.

For the past week, Josh Marhsall's Talking Points Memo has been all over the shift in language used by proponents of the Social Security reforms that the Bush Administration is pushing. To make a long story short, supporters used to refer to suggested reforms using the words "private" or "privatization". As in, "Social Security is in nowhere near as big of a crisis as the President suggests, therefore the idea that private accounts can save it is ludicrous". The President himself used these words, GOP congressmen have used these words, and Bush-licking hack journalists like Robert Novak have as well. Turns out, Karl Rove and GOP pollsters have figured out over the last couple of years that they're not popular words when you poll people on their support for SS reforms, they are more likely to respond in the positive if the word "personal" is used. As in, "Social Security is in nowhere near as big of a crisis as the President suggests, therefore the idea that personal accounts can save it is ludicrous". So, the shift has been to always refer to them using the word "personal", never "private".

Again, Marshall is all over this, with examples here, here, here, here and here. But listen to this clip of Josh on Al Franken's show, questioning GOP pollster Frank Luntz this afternoon.

Awesome, right? (OK, maybe not awesome, but interesting at least). Favorite quote:

Luntz: It's one of the reasons why the American people don't trust the media

No, Frank. You're one of the reasons why the American people don't trust the media.

Comments

Ban social security altogether.