Mainstreaming the 'Buffer' Frame

A short, political-media framing shift labels controversial populist figures as 'buffers' against 'far‑darker forces', turning a delegitimizing stigma into a protective credential. That reframing can normalize their presence in mainstream interviews and weaken barriers to their influence on policy (here: migrant hotel protests). — If media and commentators increasingly use 'buffer' frames, previously marginal figures can be normalized into policy debate and electoral coalitions, changing how parties and institutions respond to migration and disorder.