Discussion 2

Synthesis Discussion: Example

• Bush vs. Kerry video Quotes from “Don’t Think of an Elephant” by George Lakoff:

Quote #1 Framing is about getting language that fits your worldview. Quote #2

The strict father model begins with a set of assumptions. The world is a dangerous place, and it always will be, because there is evil out

there in the world. The world is also difficult because it is competitive. There will always be winners and losers. There is an absolute right and an absolute wrong. Children are born bad, in the sense that they just want to do what feels good, not what is right. Therefore, they have to be made good. What is needed in this kind of a world is a strong, strict father who can:

• Protect the family in the dangerous world • Support the family in the difficult world • Teach his children right from wrong

Explanation:

In the political ad, “Time,” from the 2004 presidential election, George W. Bush is framed as a strong father figure, a strategy which increases his Ethos with his base audience. George Lakoff in his essay “Don’t Think of an Elephant” discusses the importance of framing and writes, “Framing is about getting language that fits your worldview.” The target audience of this ad are social conservatives. Lakoff claims that social conservatives view the role of a leader as that of a strict father figure whose role is to “protect the family in a dangerous world.” The ad symbolically shows this in several ways.

The opening image is a metaphor—it is a picture of a rock being pounded by waves in a storm. The rock represents Bush and the storm is life’s dangers and unpredictability. This metaphor highlights Bush as a steady and reliable figure that is dependable and always there.

Later in the ad, he is shown taking a child’s hand. This also plays into the idea of the strict father whose role it is to guide and, as Lakoff explains, “teach his children from right and wrong.” Both images enforce the dominant cultural metaphor that appeals to conservative thinkers and makes the president fit the desired worldview of his target audience, increasing his credibility in their eyes.