What's David Axelrod Saying? A Lesson in Framing For Congressional Democrats

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Christine Bowman

The Democrats' framing and messaging on the economic recovery package (which BuzzFlash calls the "Main Street Job Creation Act") was sub par. They went astray in emphasizing bipartisanship rather than job creation, as Rahm Emanuel evidently admitted to The Wall Street Journal.

In contrast, there's an advisor sitting in the office next to the President's oval one who chooses his words with great care. His language strongly connects progressive American values to policy initiatives, showing not just what the administration wants, but also why. An interview that Senior Advisor David Axelrod gave to Lois Romano of The Washington Post provides clear examples.

Romano starts out on the offensive, asking what happened with the "bumpy roll-out to the banking rescue plan."

Axelrod redirects: "Wall Street was hoping for a complete answer to some really complex and expensive problems ..." [implication -- Wall Streeters were unrealistic]  "Geithner laid out a strategy [and will soon] lay out tactics to support that strategy, and people will know exactly what's expected of them ... together, if everybody takes responsibility, we can solve this problem ..." [Meaning, nobody gets a free pass, and we all must act like grownups.]

Axelrod adds: "We need a strong, vibrant financial sector. We need to keep the capital flowing, so that businesses and families can get the loans that they need." [He's telling Main Streeters not to scapegoat the bankers. We need their help.]

Next Romano thows him a leading question: "Do you think you should have had a few more details in it? That's what everybody seems to be angry about."

Axelrod frames the Administration's approach as "... thoughtful, strong, appropriate ..."

Romano casts the problem as you vs. them: "Do you run the risk that Wall Street will turn against the plan before you even get it out?"

Axelrod rejects that, saying "... people in the financial sector have a real interest in seeking a solution."

Romano raises the threat of mainstream media: "But would you agree that a one-day drop in the market and a one-day story can drive the news, drive the White House?" 

Unruffled, Axelrod gives her a zinger: "Well, it can drive a White House. It may not drive ours. ... the real story is written over time."

Romano drags out another bad frame: "... Geithner talked about having a stress test for banks. What happens to the banks that fail the stress test? ... Is the government writing their death sentence?" [Could future bank failures be blamed on Geithner and the government?] 

Again, Axelrod refuses to take the bait. "We're not going to preside over a collapse, and that means we're going to work with these financial institutions. ... Our goal is not to dry up capital. It is to get capital flowing again."

Romano reverts to pessimism:  "... how do you maintain public optimism and enthusiasm in these really hard times?" [One answer might be by tuning out reporters like her.]

This is good turf for Axelrod: " ... the American people ... are always a little bit ahead of the politicians. ... They're very supportive of the economic recovery plan. They ... appreciate the President's commitment to investing not just in things that create jobs, but that will create long-term economic benefits for the country ... they're at once optimistic about this President and the possibility of moving forward, but they're realistic about the problems we face." [In other words, we're with the people and the people are with us.]

Romano casts the public as having "conflicting feelings" and as emotional and impatient.

Axelrod returns to his reassuring mantra: "We want to ... keep people in their homes ... We want to ...  save or create millions of jobs ... and these things will happen over time. ... our goal is, over time, to repair the enormous damage that's been done to our economy ... we're not going to be distracted by the political kerfuffle of the moment." [We're focused on Main Street. Remember who made the mess.]

Romano asks when the first jobs "will hit the streets."

Axelrod explains how money to states and cities will in fact save jobs before they're lost. Effectively, they "hit the streets" retroactively: "... some of the money that will be in this package will prevent the layoffs of police and firefighters and other key personnel. So those are not jobs that are added, but they're really significant in terms of keeping people at work and also keeping people safe." [Did you get that last part? Saving jobs keeps everybody safe.]

Romano still has one more "bombshell" of a question: "You coined the refrain, 'Yes, we can.' What should be the refrain of the first three weeks of the Obama administration?"

Axelrod defuses it with a long list of achievements: "We're now in the last stages of passing a really ambitious economic recovery plan. I don't think there's been a parallel to this in 70 years in this country. S-CHIP, health insurance for millions of children, something that had been stalled for several years, is now the law. The pay equity, Lilly Ledbetter legislation, to make sure that women have the right to pursue back pay when they've been the victims of discrimination, that passed. That had been stalled. We've moved on issues like torture and Guantanamo. There are a whole range of things that we've accomplished. I think it's been an enormously productiive few weeks."

Romano shifts to easier, personal questions: "What's it like to be in Washington?"

And Axelrod sees an opportunity to hammer home a key point: "... I still feel, that you get a much better read on the issues of the day when you live not in Washington. I think Washington in many ways is a very insular place, a kind of echo chamber, and I think the Recovery Act is a great example of that. There was this sense somehow in this town that the thing was losing public support, and yet there was no polling really that supported that. And then you get outside of Washington, and there's enormous support because people are suffering. They understand how badly the economy is doing and how we need to act." [Again, the people are with us, and DC doesn't get it.]

Now Romano begins to go with him. "So, strategically, you decided ... to get out of Washington to make that point?"

Axelrod: "... the President really wanted to. And ... his greatest concern is that he not lose touch with people. ... we're going to be going out of town once a week or so, just to keep in touch with the American people."

Looking for some spice, Romano brings up Dick Cheney's comment that, in her words, "terrorists will attempt a catastrophic nuclear attack ..."  

Axelrod knows exactly what he wants to say: "I was disappointed in the Vice President's comments, not because he ... stated the obvious which is that there are threats that are grave, but that he suggested that somehow the President's decisions ... would increase the likelihood of that. You know, one of the things that I've been impressed by is the graciousness that President Bush has shown  ..." [So, Cheney has only stated the obvious, and in a most disrespectful way, whereas we are respectful of presidents.]

Axelrod then deftly shifts to Karl Rove, who has been dodging subpoena after subpoena, all the while launching attacks from the pages of Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal: "You know, the last thing that I think we're looking for at this juncture is advice on fiscal integrity or ethics from Karl Rove. Anyone who's read the newspapers for the last eight years would laugh at that." [Remember who made this mess. Remember whom to scorn.]

Axelrod continues: "So, I appreciate that President Bush has been so classy during this period, and I'm disappointed that some of the folks who worked for him ... don't share that."

He's got her now.

Romano: "And so quickly, they didn't even give you any breathing room."

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A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS