2008 Woodie Awards
The right's latest semantic game
Alex Koren
Issue date: 4/19/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
It may not be very noticeable, but Republicans have a nasty habit of turning the word "Democrat" into an adjective by talking about the "Democrat Party" instead of the Democratic Party. Now, at first it may just seem like a simple mistake. Indeed, that's what President George W. Bush told NPR and later the House Democratic Caucus when asked why he spoke about the "Democrat Party" in his 2007 State of the Union address.
While it may seem humorous and fitting to hear President Bush claim he simply misspoke, those who believe him are unfortunately misunderestimating our president. According to The New Yorker, the term "Democrat Party" actually dates back to the Harding administration when Republicans used it as a way to insinuate there was nothing democratic about the Democratic Party and also to emphasize the "rat" sound. Senator Joe McCarthy made extensive use of the term in order to intimidate his opponents.
After former House Speaker Newt Gingrich came to power in 1994, the term began to be used by almost all Republican politicians and talk radio hosts as an epithet to refer to the Democratic Party. As trivial as it may seem, this is something Democrats need to be concerned about. Allowing the Republicans to use an epithet to refer to the Democratic Party is allowing them to shape the language of political discourse. It's the same way that they attached so many negative connotations to the word "liberal" that now many prominent Democrats don't want to describe themselves as liberal.
The "Democrat Party" epithet has already spread beyond the Republicans into the mainstream media. According to Media Matters for America, a media watchdog organization, several news organizations including CNN, The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Chicago Tribune have all used "Democrat" as an adjective in their reporting at some point.
So what can Democrats do to fight back? Rep. Anthony Weinar (D-N.Y.) decided to fight fire with fire. In a House speech he gave in February, Weinar blasted the "Republic Party" for their mismanagement of Congress over the past 12 years. Using the term "Republic Party" to refer to the Republicans may seem childish, and it's certainly not as subtle as the term "Democrat Party," but that's the beauty of it. Because the term is less subtle, people will notice the term and when Democrats are asked about it they can call attention to the fact that the Republicans have been using the term "Democrat Party" for years. By making people aware of the Republicans' tactic on a conscious level, Democrats can neutralize it.
While it may seem humorous and fitting to hear President Bush claim he simply misspoke, those who believe him are unfortunately misunderestimating our president. According to The New Yorker, the term "Democrat Party" actually dates back to the Harding administration when Republicans used it as a way to insinuate there was nothing democratic about the Democratic Party and also to emphasize the "rat" sound. Senator Joe McCarthy made extensive use of the term in order to intimidate his opponents.
After former House Speaker Newt Gingrich came to power in 1994, the term began to be used by almost all Republican politicians and talk radio hosts as an epithet to refer to the Democratic Party. As trivial as it may seem, this is something Democrats need to be concerned about. Allowing the Republicans to use an epithet to refer to the Democratic Party is allowing them to shape the language of political discourse. It's the same way that they attached so many negative connotations to the word "liberal" that now many prominent Democrats don't want to describe themselves as liberal.
The "Democrat Party" epithet has already spread beyond the Republicans into the mainstream media. According to Media Matters for America, a media watchdog organization, several news organizations including CNN, The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Chicago Tribune have all used "Democrat" as an adjective in their reporting at some point.
So what can Democrats do to fight back? Rep. Anthony Weinar (D-N.Y.) decided to fight fire with fire. In a House speech he gave in February, Weinar blasted the "Republic Party" for their mismanagement of Congress over the past 12 years. Using the term "Republic Party" to refer to the Republicans may seem childish, and it's certainly not as subtle as the term "Democrat Party," but that's the beauty of it. Because the term is less subtle, people will notice the term and when Democrats are asked about it they can call attention to the fact that the Republicans have been using the term "Democrat Party" for years. By making people aware of the Republicans' tactic on a conscious level, Democrats can neutralize it.
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