Don’t think of a pink elephant: how the frame of Spain’s election was decided.

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The well-worn axiom for political geeks, “Do not think of an elephant” imparts a significant lesson on the power of framing, and the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has found himself learning it the hard way.

During a radio interview that served as the launch pad for the election campaign, Sanchez found himself facing the loaded question: “Why have you lied to us so often, Mr. President?” His response: “Specify exactly on what I lied,” is an implicit acceptance of the interviewer’s frame, which in political circles, is widely viewed as a tactical misstep.