The Conservative Cave
Current Events => The DUmpster => Topic started by: USA4ME on March 05, 2009, 02:09:38 PM
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BurtWorm
538.com: GOP's continued use of "Democrat Party" foretells a LONG time in the wildnerness for them.
This is a brilliant, well-written, well-thought-out piece by Sean Quinn from FiveThirtyEight.com, which continues to put out extremely intelligent analysis of American politics. Read the whole thing:
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/03/democrat-party-d...
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Again, objectively, there’s nothing wrong with Republicans methodically doing this – refusing the basic respect of allowing the Democratic Party its own name. They can elect their own behavior all they want; it’s a free country. Democrats may choose a reflexive reaction, but nobody "makes" you react, you have responsibility for how you react.
On the flip side of the coin, denying another person or group basic respect means that once the epithet escapes a Republican’s lips, he or she can’t complain when no respect is returned. Some Democrats aren’t bothered. Their perspective is that the very nature of such a tiny, repetitive jab, like a sibling flicking you on the shoulder, is that it pales in comparison with the constellation of behaviors that create actual wounds.
However, some Democrats find it to be a threshold issue in a conversation. It's irrelevant whether it wounds; it's a communication signal. If your behavior choice is a playground tactic, why should my behavior choice be to listen to what you say in whatever else is coming out of your mouth? You won’t agree to my name. I am supposed to take anything you say seriously? Couples therapists know a thing or two about this one. Respect is a threshold condition for listening.
If Republicans genuinely want Democrats to listen to their policy ideas, they shouldn't use the term because it's counterproductive. For example, when I hear the term, nothing else matters that comes out of that person's mouth. That Republican has failed the threshold bad faith test, and who cares what they say?
By the same token, if Republicans don't care if Democrats listen to them, which may indeed be the case for many, they don't have to care about this sort of symbolic signal-sending. In last summer's Republican National Convention party platform meeting, Republicans changed "Democrat Party" (ensconced in the official platform in 1996) to "Democratic Party." Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour grudgingly admitted that probably they shouldn't act like kids and instead use the real term, "at least in writing."
While the terminology is trivial in some ways, the same way that emphasis of Obama's middle name is trivial (it is his name), there is a serious policy extension of the tactic. This threshold issue of withholding basic respect underlies historical Republican demonization of gays, blacks, immigrants, and other groups. Republicans may protest that conclusion, but think of Limbaugh's "Halfrican," or try talking to an Arab-American while saying everything normally and rationally except always calling Barack Obama: Barack Hussein Obama. Do you think the rest of whatever else you say will be heard? When Sean Hannity uses "Hussein," over and over, he is not trying to convince an undecided to adopt his viewpoint, and certainly not persuade an Obama supporter to come around to his way of thinking. He's speaking to the home crowd, his intent is to use the word as a weapon.
One of the reasons the "childish" party of Fleischer and Limbaugh is having such a tough time in the wilderness is they've done a too-clever-by-half job figuring out how to systematically weaponize language. There's no referee. It's their right. It's also no great parlor trick, and you can go to any grade-school playground and find the same. The day Republicans work to signal good faith by policing their own house on basic respect in language will probably run parallel with the day we'll see the party reborn as an ideologically grownup force.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5192128
I've heard that phrase all my life, it carries no ill meaning. One would have to be a complete idiot to believe the majority of people, or even politicians, use the phrase "Democrat Party" as a slight. buttworm *is* such an idiot.
Now, if I ran into a primitive, I'd likely say it just to watch their little head explode, but otherwise it means nothing.
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Oh FFS what a stupid waste of time to have written such idiocy.
Doesn`t matter what you call them,their political ideals are opposite to what made this country great and no name will change that,
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I've said it before, I'll say it again--there's nothing democratic about Democrats.
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As a Democrat, I'm not bothered by people using the term "Democrat Party" but I think that those who do make themselves seem... well... not smart. And, they run the risk of getting themselves pulled over and cited by the Grammar Police.
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Shit like this is why most DUchebags are living off of others.
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I would call them by their correct name if they were willing to use it. The Socialist Party of America or something similar. :-)
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Thundley, correct. I didn't read that whole article <yawn>. Can I just say this, though? I'm getting EXTREMELY tired of the overuse of the word "brilliant." It's hyperbole, it's affective, and it's used to refer to every participant at the Special Olympics.
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Not to argue semantics, but isn't that the website that called the former president Chimpy? Shrub? "*"?
And they're offended by "Democrat Party"?
Wow.
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I refuse to put "ic" at the end of their icky name. I do it on purpose. Any action which gets under their childish emotionally stunted skin is A-OK in my book. Besides, I think "democratic party" sounds ridiculous (not to mention being totally against the Truth In Advertising laws).
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Brilliant post, Karin.
:tongue:
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(not to mention being totally against the Truth In Advertising laws).
indeed - but what else is to be expected from "The Party of Tolerance" who brought us such things as "Planned Parenthood"
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Brilliant post, Karin.
:tongue:
Your brilliance blinds me when I go over to the karma meter . . . I don't know which one to click, DAT! :tongue:
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I used to always say DemocratIC Party, until these fools started complaining so much about people saying Democrat Party. Now I say Democrat Party just to tweak their nipples.
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I just refer to them as such because it pisses them off so bad and then they look like TOTAL tools when they lose their minds and call us "Republics".
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I just refer to them as such because it pisses them off so bad and then they look like TOTAL tools when they lose their minds and call us "Republics".
My reaction to that is this:
Hey, you just called me a soverign country! That means that international law says that I can defend myself against any threat, real or imagined, that I come across, with impunity . . . and you look like a threat! :-)
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Oh FFS what a stupid waste of time to have written such idiocy.
Doesn`t matter what you call them,their political ideals are opposite to what made this country great and no name will change that,
their reactions only encourages its use.
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Thundley, correct. I didn't read that whole article <yawn>. Can I just say this, though? I'm getting EXTREMELY tired of the overuse of the word "brilliant." It's hyperbole, it's affective, and it's used to refer to every participant at the Special Olympics.
I just think its perfect that Biden is leader of our Special Olympic team. lol
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Oh FFS what a stupid waste of time to have written such idiocy.
Doesn`t matter what you call them,their political ideals are opposite to what made this country great and no name will change that,
You forget this is the party where labels and titles define who you are.
To them this silly kerfuffle about the correct pronounciation of their "name" means EVERYTHING.
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I just refer to them as such because it pisses them off so bad and then they look like TOTAL tools when they lose their minds and call us "Republics".
I know I have overused the term Donner Party... but we could call their party that I guess.