Maxine Waters: "You know, I was surprised at Chuck Schumer..."

[Miles Archer]

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

1. You and me both Maxine. #StandWithMaxine

[jrthin]

8. Add me to the surprise that he'd do something so dumb and ineffective. nt

[pecosbob]

2. Schumer made the classic Dem mistake of accepting the RWs coded language talking points

instead of correcting their misuse of terms and restating the issue in clear, unambiguous language. Ms. Waters use of the term harass was of course intended to indicate non-violent shunning of these unprincipled, uncivilized people. The right wing media immediately chose to frame the term as a threat of violence. Schumer's acceptance of the term as such and failure to re-frame was a cardinal mistake in countering RW propaganda.

[elleng]

6. Yes he did.

Thanks for stating it clearly, pecosbob.

Hence my concern about him as 'leader.'

[Bernardo de La Paz]

11. You are correct framing with language is very important. It is frequently neglected by Democrats. nt

[elleng]

13. Sadly, framing is almost always neglected by Democrats.

They've ignored Professor Lakoff's lessons for many years.

https://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2003/10/27_lakoff.shtml

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. Lakoff in June: Trump has turned words into weapons. And he's winning the linguistic war

https://upload.democraticunderground.com/100210728613

Lakoff: Trump has turned words into weapons. And he's winning the linguistic war
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/13/how-to-report-trump-media-manipulation-language

George P Lakoff and Gil Duran
Wed 13 Jun 2018

Donald Trump has been a salesman for nearly half a century. He is now selling himself, his worldview and his self-serving views of the law and the truth. His principal tools are language and the media. By faithfully transmitting Trump’s words and ideas, the press helps him to attack, and thereby control, the press itself.

Trump knows the press has a strong instinct to repeat his most outrageous claims, and this allows him put the press to work as a marketing agency for his ideas. His lies reach millions of people through constant repetition in the press and social media. This poses an existential threat to democracy.

Language works by activating brain structures called “frame-circuits” used to understand experience. They get stronger when we hear the activating language. Enough repetition can make them permanent, changing how we view the world.

—

Scientists, marketers, advertisers and salespeople understand these principles. So do Russian and Islamic State hackers. But most reporters and editors clearly don’t. So the press is at a disadvantage when dealing with a super salesman with an instinctive ability to manipulate thought by 1) framing first 2) repeating often, and 3) leading others to repeat his words by getting people to attack him within his own frame.

[calimary]

17. YEP!!! Big Lakoff fan here.

I wish the DNC would put him on staff!!!

[elleng]

23. Dem party had him present at a 'forum,' some years ago.

SADLY, they've ignored him.

[NewJeffCT]

29. Yes, he could be the Democrats answer to Frank Luntz

on the Republican side.

That said, Luntz gives out his talking points and Republicans know to repeat them in lock step. Democrats rarely follow their leadership in lock step like Republicans.

[FM123]

28. Exactly. The way he weaponizes words is getting more and more dangerous.

[KPN]

21. Great link -- thx elleng. I wonder of the D Party's working with Hollywood "marketing"

people for help with better messaging is just more of the same "marketing" focus thaqt Lakoff discussed critically in that interview.

[democrank]

30. A giant K & R for your reply #13, elleng.

We have let Republicans define us for years.

[Bluepinky]

3. Every Democrat should be speaking out like Maxine is.

Chuck Schumer is wrong to criticize her, and I applaud Hillary Clinton for her support. There is no policy more repulsive than separating children from their parents. Maxine gets this and Chuck doesn’t.

[The Wizard]

24. Chuch Schumer is a ninny

and shouldn't be a Party leader. I'm a lifelong Democrat, but if leadership keeps capitulating to Republican feigned outrage and losing because of the perceived weakness, I'll become unaffiliated.

[shanny]

4. We all are, Maxine. nt

[FakeNoose]

16. Agreed - it's on all of us

[sprinkleeninow]

5. He and Nancy should have kept silent and not have spoken the words they did.

Better to have said NOTHING.

💙🇺🇸🌊

[elleng]

7. Yes

[chesterslick]

38. But is this not the crux of leadership.....

... to speak "truth to Power?"

And conversely, the compulsion to fight for what is "right" counter to prevailing public opinion...

No, their views here were wrong; but they were right to speak.

[CrispyQ]

9. So glad HRC spoke out on the civility issue!

That's the right message! Not the "play nice" message of Pelosi & Schumer.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/29/hillary-clinton-on-trumps-child-detention-policy-it-keeps-me-up-at-night

Throughout the presidential campaign, Clinton was criticised for exercising a degree of emotional self-control that looked cold and inauthentic, while Trump’s volatility was taken as evidence that he meant what he said and really cared. Lately, however, Democrats have been provoked to condemn the president with a passion some on the left warn is becoming “uncivil”. I’m curious to know what Clinton thinks of this.

“Oh, give me a break,” she erupts, eyes widening into indignation. “Give me a break! What is more uncivil and cruel than taking children away? It should be met with resolve and strength. And if some of that comes across as a little uncivil, well, children’s lives are at stake; their futures are at stake. That is that ridiculous concept of bothsideism."

I'm with both of them!

[paleotn]

25. She's damn right!!

[appalachiablue]

31. +1 She's so right. Call it like it is!

[Ferrets are Cool]

10. I'm not. He is gutless. nt

[calimary]

19. Chuck Schumer. Gutless Wonder.

That title was made for someone like him. We need a firebrand. One of those “back bench bomb throwers”. The CONS got one with Newt Gingrich in 1980. They’ve been mowing us down ever since.

[Guilded Lilly]

12. Chuck is off his nut saying things like that. I wish we had a dozen Maxine's...

fighting for us! Our freedom depends on warriors like Maxine.

Republicans get away with shit because no one wants to approach their stinking bathroom.

Time to flush them out and send them to the sewers where they belong.

[maxrandb]

26. Chuck is stupidly thinking you can still negotiate

With these asspickles.

I'm sure if it were his kids being kidnapped he'd want to be civil to the kidnappers.

[elmac]

14. if any Dem sides with the fascist pigs, ever

they are helping putin overthrow this country, they just don't have what it takes to represent us.

[msongs]

18. "surprised" is being too kind. chuckie should be defending her 1st amend. rights nt

[Dorn]

20. Unfortately, Maxine, Chuck didn't suprise me at all

I am disappointed that he did exactly what I expected.

[KPN]

22. You tell 'em Maxine. Schumer should never have "chided" her or Democrats to be civil, which is

effectively what he did. He either needs to start throwing hard punches, no offensive bombs daily and more like Trump does with his tweets, or step aside and let someone who can actually lead from an offensive as opposed to a defensive posture do it.

I'll give Pelosi another chance. She shouldn't have criticized Maxine -- that was a ridiculous mistake in the face of the uncivil and uncivilized Trump and his GOP criminal pals. But she can also be tough and I like her generally. Schumer has always struck me as a pushover.

[paleotn]

27. Probably the same....

shit when he told his fellow Dem Senators not to celebrate when John McCain went thumbs down on the ACA repeal. I called bullshit then and I'm calling it now. The Dems should have rubbed it in McTurtle's face. Forget civility. Schumer needs to realize you cannot work with McConnell and his cast of clowns. Thus, nothing is lost by calling them what they are and celebrating when the lose.

[Hekate]

32. I'm with Maxine. KnR

[NBachers]

33. I have very weak, lame, and underwhelming expectations for Chuck Schumer.

Chuck almost always lives down to them.

[lapucelle]

34. Did any member of the Democratic leadership who called for

unity, civility, or who defended a person's right to have dinner in a restaurant in peace actually mention Maxine by name?

Who besides Maxine rejected the framing of the narrative as a question of civility?

[NRaleighLiberal]

35. Chuck was being Chuck - nothing surprising at all. Just plays a weak hand.

[TryLogic]

36. Schumer comes across as a serious wimp.

He reads his statements trying to sound like he cares, but it comes across as him pretending to care. I think I will just ID him as Chuck the Wimp.

[LiberalLovinLug]

37. "leaders like Chuck Schumer will do anything to protect their leadership"

wow. We need new leadership...like immediately.

And that seems close to the truth. Protecting his leadership status by dampening down the threat level, afraid of Fox News portraying him as an extremist. Pelosi and Schumer are living in a bubble from the 90's. Wake up, this is all happening now! They are so damn afraid of their own base getting too riled up because it will look 'bad' on them. Two of the biggest frogs in the pot admonishing the others in there with them to shush about the increasing temperature of the water.

Republicans fire up their base with lies, and their base fires up the normally moderates, which gives 'courage' to their representatives to keep pushing right.

But the Democratic leadership is to hopelessly hesitant to take the same winning strategy, EVEN THOUGH THEY DON'T HAVE TO USE LIES!. Partly due to many establishment Dems beholden to the same corporations and donors as the ones getting the big tax breaks from the latest tax scam bill so they don't want to ruffle too many feathers. And partly because the establishment Dems don't want to be upstaged by what they define as leftist Dems. Meanwhile the Trumpists are putting down deep roots.

"Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on"

[KelleyKramer]

39. Schumer needs to go, he sucks as a minority leader

In 35 years of following politics I don't think I have seen a more in-competent leader of the Dems in the senate

The guy just sucks... no political savvy, no courage, no clue about opposing legislation, and is even worse on messaging.. a total disaster

We need somebody else to lead senate Dems, somebody, ANYBODY would be better

Damn, I miss Harry Reid