It's All in the Spin

We're not escalating our troop deployment, we're "surging" our troop levels. Surge sounds temporary or short-term so it's more acceptable to the American people. I think I prefer the non-denial denial, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" vs the spin we are getting on the Iraq war. We're not losing the Iraq war, we're just not winning right now. At least the only person who got hurt in the case of Clinton was Hilary.

I'm starting to use Wikipedia a lot. From Wikipedia, within the subject, Public Relations, the definition of spin techniques ( spin (public relations) ) include:

• Selectively presenting facts and quotes that support one's position (cherry picking)
• Non-denial denial
• Phrasing in a way that assumes unproven truths
• Euphemisms to disguise or promote one's agenda
• Ambiguity
• Skirting
• Rejecting the validity of hypotheticals
• Appealing to internal policies

A new term I had never heard before was Astroturfing - creating an artificial grass roots movement. The example they cited was writing numerous letters to the editor at different newspapers under different names creating the impression of widespread public opinion, but actually controlling it under a central entity.

Another key item is "managing language", using faith-based rather than religious, climate change vs. global warming, and partial birth abortion for pro-choice.

I'm on my knees praying that the change in political control will not be like

" There's nothing in the street looks any different to me. And the slogans
are all replaced, by the by. The parting on the left is now a parting on the
right, ..." -- Pete Townshend