Speaking their language
by digby
The success of the conservative movement's message discipline is never better illustrated than when liberals use their cynical rhetoric without even realizing they're doing it:
Pelosi said that she doesn’t believe in “abortion on demand” or that “abortion is a form of birth control” — two phases that abortion foes typically use to characterize abortion-rights supporters. NARAL objected to Pelosi merely repeating those phrases, even if she said she doesn’t agree with them.
“The Leader should stop using twisted GOP talking points about abortion and birth control,” NARAL senior vice president for campaigns and strategy Sasha Bruce said. “We don't know women who demand abortion or use abortion as birth control. We do know women who make thoughtful decisions about how and if they want to start a family, and who need access to all reproductive-health care services, including abortion. We’re confident the Leader does too, which makes her comments all the more troubling.”
It's pathetic how often liberals run into these traps. Clinton used the words "tax relief" the other day. Obama used all that "American might" talk last night that comes right out of the wingnut playbook. In the past, Sanders has used immigration rhetoric that could have come out of the mouth of Ted Cruz. It happens all the time. None of them mean it in the same way the right wing means it, obviously. But using their language reinforces the right's interpretation nonetheless.
The idea of "framing" issues has been discredited in recent years as some sort of proggy nonsense but the conservatives didn't get that memo. They don't come up with this stuff out of the blue. It's very strategic. (You don't think that every Republican politician started using the term "baby parts" by accident do you?)
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