As Democrats continue their post-election soul-searching, a new guru is emerging. He isn't an internet whizz-kid or a campaign strategist, but a bearded Berkeley linguist who says he knows why Republicans keep winning.

George Lakoff says it all comes down to “frames” the mental structures people use when they think about words. Conservatives are masters of framing, using expressions such as “tax relief” to shape the debate to their advantage, he says. If Democrats could do the same, they would perform much better at the polls.