Words that (will try to) work

Frank Luntz authored the book, Words That Work. In it, he explains to his readers how he used language to help push the 1994 Contract With America.

Now it’s 2008 and battles of language are still going strong.

First, do Republicans support Deep Sea drilling or Off-shore drilling? Deep-sea drilling is believed to sound better to voters, but it hasn’t quite caught on yet.

Second, Unilateral took on a negative connotation after Pres. Bush took us into war with Iraq. Democrats were successful in making this “Bush’s Unilateral War.” The McCain campaign has taken notice. They are now accusing Obama of wanting to make “unilateral” changes to NAFTA. Can one simple word change voters’ minds about this? Maybe.

Lastly, the phrase “Yes we can” has gained popularity as a slogan for Obama. It didn’t originate with him, but it’s his now. The McCain campaign has taken notice. They now talk of McCain’s position on lowering gas prices as “Yes We Can” while Obama’s position is “No We Can’t” I guess that is much simpler than explaining how they are going to give consumer an ounce of relief at the gas pump.