I've been a pollster and wordsmith for senators and CEOs for more than a decade, and I have a particular interest in language. What words do people understand? What's the clear, common-sense way to say what you mean? And how can politicians best educate and express their ideas?
That's why I wrote a "A New American Lexicon" for my business and political clients. But it soon made its way to the Internet, where it raised a storm among Democrats in Washington and in the blogosphere, who accused me of the worst kind of spin. They say I'm manipulating the debate in an attempt to obscure the true effect of the policies I advocate. Yet this lexicon genuinely seeks to establish a common language for a pro-business, pro-freedom agenda.
Admittedly, in these times, most political language has taken a partisan tone. But my suggestions are meant to help reach that critical, nonaligned swing voter, just as product advertising is designed to appeal to nonaligned consumers.
Yes, there are instances in which language can be used to cloud judgment and obfuscate the facts, but its beauty is that it can also be used to enlighten. I seek to use words to brighten a debate that has been darkened by those who nuance over what the meaning of "is" is, and whether you have smoked marijuana if you didn't inhale.
Let me be specific. "The death tax," "energy exploration," "opportunity scholarships" and "personalizing" Social Security -- I didn't coin those phrases, but they are now in the public lexicon and I can rightfully be "blamed" for popularizing them. They are not, as some say, Orwellian. I seek clarity in our nation's great debates, and all too often the words we have used until now hinder real discourse.
For example, why not use the term "death tax" for the taxes paid on an estate? What is the event that triggers it? I pay a sales tax when I am involved with a sale, and I pay income tax when I earn income. And when I die, if I'm successful and forget to hire smart accountants, I may pay a tax. What else would you call that other than a death tax -- a "permanent sleep tax"?
Laurie David, a leading Hollywood environmentalist, publicly labeled me "evil" because Republicans had adopted some of my language to talk about her issues. Yet I would assert that "responsible exploration for energy," which includes the search for incredibly clean natural gas, is a far different activity than plunking down a well haphazardly and just "drilling for oil."
