McCain and the 'ic' factor
By Steve Benen Thursday Feb 28, 2008 7:30amPoor John McCain isn't especially good at grammar, either.
Given McCain’s reputation for reaching across the aisle and his daily pledge to treat Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton with respect, Washington Wire was a little surprised to hear McCain using the ["Democrat Party"] language.
“One thing I’m not any good at predicting is the outcome of Democrat elections,” he said Tuesday aboard his bus, dubbed the Straight Talk Express. A day earlier, he had mentioned his “Democrat friends” to a Cleveland-area audience.
Asked aboard his bus about the “ic,” he replied, “I’m sorry, I usually say Democratic. They prefer Democratic, so I try to say Democratic... It offends some members of their party, so I’ll say Democratic if that’s what makes them feel better.”
But his resolve didn’t last long. Later on that same ride, he was talking about his annoyance that Democrats take credit for the improving situation in Iraq. “To say, as Sen. Obama has said, that it’s because of the Democrat majority that we have experienced success in Iraq, that’s just beyond comprehension.”
For the record, it's not a matter of "preference," or "feeling better." "Democrat" is a noun, "Democratic" is an adjective. This isn't optional; it's English. "Democrat Party" isn't bothersome, it's just wrong.
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what a jackass
Here's a few "ics" describing McCain:
moronic
demonic
sick
apoplectic
septic
ichh!!!
"Poor John McCain isn’t especially good at grammar, either."
Seems to be a prerequisite to become president of the USA.
It always strikes me how the Right feigns ignorance over the difference between "Democrat" and "Democratic". They know very well the difference.
One could argue that the word "black" to describe Barack Obama could be used this exact same way, benign if used one way, offensive if used in another.
If the republicans say "democrat", i say democrats say "republicants".
funny that the party that bitches about people learning to english if they want to be americans don't speak it properly
Republicans seems to be attracted to candidates that are poorly educated.
That may be why so few are qualified to be teachers or professors.
On Joe's show this morning they showed a clip of McCain saying that he was a republican conservative liberal. McCain realized what he had said and corrected himself.
McCain thinks his age and his history as a POW will shield him no matter what he says.
Joe also said that the republicans will go after Obama in ways Hillary can't. He said the republicans will use race. He said they don't care if they are criticized for doing it. Man, if Obama is the candidate he is going to have to deal with a lot of hell. I think he can handle it though, he's probably heard it all at some time in his life.
Sorry but it's not grammatically wrong to say "Democrat Party" merely because "Democrat" is a noun.
A perfectly good example from US history is the "Whig Party"; "whig" is certainly a noun as well. Nouns can be used as adjectives sometimes.
However, saying "Democrat Party" doesn't really make sense, because the noun "Democrat" is formed from the adjective (and not vice-versa). A "Democrat" is someone who adheres to Democratic ideas. So "Democrat Party" is using a noun formed from an adjective as an adjective.
Which is why just using the adjective directly as in "Democratic Party", sounds much better.
pissed off patricia @ 8:
On a commercial airing on the radio in Dallas, McCain talks about a fellow POW that was tortured for making an American Flag. He then went on to say that he didn't want the suffering of his fellow POWs to have been in vain.
So is he making it clear that he will refight and win the Vietnam War?
Does he know that the war is over?
Rick Tallarigo @ 5:
How about Republicunts
It's not about grammar. It's a purposeful way of distinguishing between the Democratic party and the administration's efforts to instill a democratic form of government in Iraq. At some point they realized they didn't want to associate a drive for democracy with the Democrats, so the memo went out and they all started saying "Democrat Party" on the same day. It's juvenile and decisive. They need to be called on it every time.
It's just the usual childish games that the republican party does, just like emphasizing Obama's middle name. Maybe they think they're being clever? Or, more likely, stupid nonsense like that appeals to the lowest demonators that reside in the republican party.
Oops, I meant "divisive."
Fantomina @ 11:
No, my understanding is that "Democrat Party" goes back to Newt Gingrich in the mid-1990s Congress. But for similar reasons: they didn't want voters to think of the democratic process when they heard of the Democratic Party. So they dropped the "ic" to emphasize the "rat" at the end and make people think of rodents instead.
Fantomina @ 11:
Or at least make them tickle our balls when they misuse the term. Nothing too humiliating, just a little tickle will be enough.
Weaseldog @ 10:
One question here. How does a POW in a prison cell make an American flag?
That was a bizarre statement about the suffering of his fellow POWs to be in vain. God only knows what he's talking about. I don't know what vietnam POWs have to do with this war. Sounds to me like he's playing for sympathy. He never lets us forget about his history.
Remember yesterday the clip of the guy talking about the flag pin? Remember how he said it was fun to irritate the left? I think this is just more of that. Doing picky things just to get a rise out of us. They know what they are doing and they do it on purpose. They like to be aggravating. What does that say about them?
If "Republican" is the right term to use for a member of the "Republican Party", then shouldn't "Democratic" be the correct term to use for a member of the "Democratic Party"?
Or maybe it just sounds better to drop the "ic" when referring to either the party or it's adherents?
Is this really a huge issue? I'm just saying...
Ah, but it's from the brain of Karl "Permanent Republican Majority" Rove and, diligently carried out by people like Roger Ailes, head of Fox News, who jointly insist that Repub party members and Fox on-air personalities ALWAYS say "Democrat" when referring to the opposition party. We live in a democratIC society: the opposition party has not right to use the term exclusively. Bush does it, too, if you'll note.
See, it's not a grammar issue, it's a political message, just like everything else these asshats do. It's a subtle form of brainwashing. Another example: if anyone at the Republican Headquarters office is caught referring to the opposition candidates as either "Hillary" or "Barack," they're fined $10. That's why Rove was saying yesterday that his people should start saying "Senator Obama and "Senator Clinton" ("Mrs. Clinton" even better), otherwise you're encouraging familiarity with them...or more to the point, fraternization with the enemy.
Only a true Fascist like Rove could come up with camel shit like this. Imagine what kind of mind games he'll come up with when Obama's the nominee. It's nauseating just to think about, but - you can't stop what's comin'...
Usually Republicans win elections by being the biggest asshole possible. They act like they're "one helluva guy" and "God's gift to the world" and the Democratic opponent gets their panties in a twist or gets all hung up trying to pretend the other guy doesn't exist.
But Obama has so much natural class and has run his campaign so smoothly, that I think this tactic is going to blow up in McCain's face. He looks like a fucking jerk.
Sure, it's annoying, but what's the point of complaining?
Do the Dems really want to be known as the Pedant(ic) Party?
Olbermann made the "Democrat Party" mistake last night, then said "Did I just say that?" and corrected himself.
It happens.
You must understand that the only way to get to the top of the heap in the republic party is to be the most willfully ignorant moron in the group.....
21 - you are so right! We should completely ignore this little barb and soon enough it will no longer be any fun for them - just like children teasing!
This does go back to Newt. Perpetuated by Limbaugh. Laura Ingraham says "dumb-ocrat"...every time. They know exactly what they're doing. I agree that they need to be called on it at every opportunity.
I will not vote for John McCa.
May I suggest we begin using the term "Rape-public-an" until the Right wing relents?
This is just my own question regarding McCain. Meaning no disrespect to his history, how does having been a POW help to qualify someone to be president? I know he suffered a horrible experience and that he survived that is admirable. I just can't see how that gives him an edge in knowing how to conduct a war.
He's acting innocent on this "ic" factor and so many other things, but I'm afraid he is being handled by such as Rove. He seems to have lost his ability to be what he wants to be and instead is allowing himself to be manipulated by the Republican party. If he continues this way and following their orders, I think he will have serious problems getting independent voters.
chuck @ 27:
They won't relent. They will hold Congressional Hearings.
This isn’t optional; it’s English. And aren't they the "English only" party?
Actually saying democrat is a "cute" way of calling dems "rats" as their ad did in 2000 or was it 2004? Such a "cute" group of thugs.
chuck @ 27:
LOL -- Best one yet.
BobD @ 30:
That is a very good point. If we criminalized bad grammar as well as making English the official language...shit we would have to bring in labor to build and guard all the prisons.
"Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas"
John has been around GW tooooooo long. He's beginning to sound like that wus.
The Republic Party needs to get a taste of its own medicine. I think they really need to be focusing on much bigger issues. If, for example, Obama gets the nomination and then there is any funny business in the Nov. election, there will be rioting in the streets, and not just by Blacks or Youth. It will tear this country up. On the other hand, I think the Republics will continue to use the race card even if Obama wins, thus tearing up the country during his tenure. Those Republic strategiests gotta get a grip, and yet I believe they can't.
Svendem @ 9:
No, "wig" is a noun. "Whig" is an adjective that has nothing to do with hairpieces.
Canuknotusa @ 18:
"Republican" can be both an noun, referring to someone with Republican ideals and an adjective, referring to something that has the property of having Republican ideals. Whereas "Democrat" means the former, and "Democratic" the latter.
This might be why McCain is confused.
But in both cases, the latter form should be preferred, because otherwise you'd be saying, in effect "The party of people who adhere to Democratic/Republican ideas" instead of "The party of Democratic/Republican ideas".
In the case of the "Whig Party", you are indeed saying "The party of Whigs" (being people who adhere to Whig ideas) In 20th century English, you could've said the "Whigist Party", but the noun is still perferred here because it's a proper name.
(e.g. "Pennsylvania State University" not "Pennsylvanian State University" or "Pennsylvania's State University")
More Repug penis fencing.
Just shorten it to the Pubic Party. They have demonstrated, repeatedly, that their interest lies there, rather than in Democracy.
Yes, the anchortainers should call them on it. Tweety actually did, once, and it was about the only time I have ever respected him.
I sure don't want our party to stoop to their level. I want us to conduct ourselves just as Obama conducts himself. When they do these little barbs, just brush it off the way he does. Let's not get down in the mud with them, the only thing that happens is that you get dirty.
If the Democrats take the high road and move beyond this childish stuff the Republicans are doing, the Republicans will have no one to play to. Soon lots of people will see that the Republicans only strategy is to be smut peddlers and race baiters. I think the majority of the country is ready to move beyond that sort of thing. Let the Republicans lose this by their very own doings. We don't need to help them.
All the little school yard name calling, nuanced insults are not registering with the public. Everytime Hillary does it, even SHE gets booed and her numbers drop.
The public is fed up. The public knows that it has been HAD. $4 gas by the summer, job outsourcing is hurting EVERYONE now (how's THAT for trickle down theory), mortgage defaults, people losing their homes and the government saying "Fuck you, you signed a contract".
Yeah. The backlash is coming and in some ways already here.
Just wait till August when gas flirts with $5.
Then the shit is REALLY gonna hit the fan.
I had an evil Republican news anchor once that would try to slip democRAT party through the teleprompter. I'd have to go behind her and change her writing which was daunting because she was also my boss. We also went the rounds about saying Saddam versus Hussein. She actually pulled a Cliff Claven (Cheers) saying that last names are first and visa versa in the Middle East which is bullshit...that happens in the Far East. Saddam Hussein actually outlawed end names because they were tribal. His name was Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti. I think the anchor liked saying Saddam because she pronounced it Sodom (think george 41).
It'll be a happy day if the Republican freak show is sidelined this election.
Radically Moderate @ 37:
What an image.
0000000000
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Litabell @ 12:
What bugs me is that the name "Hussein" is automatically regarded as offensive.
I think of the late King Hussein of Jordan, who was a magnificent man, worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize (though I don't believe he ever won one). Jordan could not of elected a more wise and decent leader. To equate his name with a "racists slur" is beyond offensive, and I can only imagine what Jordan's current king... his son and our ally... thinks every time he hears the Republicans using his fathers name that way.
pissed off patricia @ 39:
I agree completely. He is magnificent when he does that. Why the Dems haven't adopted this approach from the beginning has always angered and amazed me.
Again, I say the Republican party is filled with a bunch of cliquish (sic?!?) children. This purposeful misuse of the party name is reminiscent of such junior high school antics as "Ewww...he's got cooties!"
"We gotchya chain link fence, we gotchya stockade fence, we gotchya picket fence and over here we gotchya penis fence."
He's going senile from drinking too much Boosh cool-aid.
Mugsy @ 43:
Nevil Longbottom @ 6:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owWPgUyK7DY
The main point is @ 02:15.
I've always loverd that line.
;-)
xoites defends Constitution @ 32:
It's so easy to point out their hypocracy! I loved Dan Abrams clip talking to that idiot from TN. Where's your lapel pin? I don't follow you Dan. We're talking Obama not me....
putz!
pissed off patricia @ 28:
It doesn't. It can possibly help lend some credibility to someone's positions regarding war, but only if that position has any innate credibility to begin with. And frankly war service is overrated in politics. In 2004 we had decorated Vietnam Veteran John Kerry vs. embarassing fratboy fuckoff AWOL deserter George W. Bush, and the right wing fought that with an infantile display of bandaids. It depends on whether the candidate in question can keep their service in perspective, and of course on whether the media gives them a gigantic free pass on their activities.
It doesn't. McCain was a pilot and the majority of his war experience was spent after he was shot down and imprisoned. The only edge it gave him was, once, when he had not yet bargained away all of his principles, he could say that there was something morally wrong with torture of war prisoners. But he's sold his soul to Karl Rove's political machine and nothing he says has any meaning anymore because he contradicts himself whenever it's convenient for him.
That seems to be the case. Whether Rove is directly giving him advice or simply has impressed upon the conservative movement a slimy win-at-all-costs culture doesn't matter. He's so aptly named Turdblossom that it's not even funny.
that happens to older guys
His maverick persona has always been mythic, propped up by leg-humping sycophants like Chris Matthews. The fact is that McCain is a corrupt politician and has been from the get-go. He has adopted "maverick" positions when it suits him, abandoning them the moment they begin to cost him access to the elites for whom he is really working.
I think Obama vs. McCain will be a bone-crushing defeat, an earth-shattering blowout. McCain's maverick persona has largely been based on his crotchety personality. He's 72 and should have retired about eight years ago. He's going to look like an imbecile next to Obama in the GE. Plus, the vast-right wing (Limbaugh, Dobson and Co.) unloaded so much bile and vitriol on him during the primary season. The independent media are going to have a field day replaying those clips and quotes until November. The only hope McCain ever had was the mainstream media, and it's clearer every day that the public is tuning them the fuck out. Obama has over 1,000,000 individual donors (and I am proud as hell to be one of them), and it's only February. This is the first election I have EVER seen where people were this engaged in what was really going on. McCain has a few sycophantic drooling press hacks and a small cloister of the elite on his side, plus the apathetic shrug of his base. He's so fucked it's unbelievable.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080229/ap_on_bi_go_ec_fi/economy
heres another report on the economy....here comes the the r word.
I think they're starting to face reality.It took them long enough.
I have a stock answer for this very situation.
It came up once in a bar where I live and I explained to a very snobby American, "It's Democrat'ic,' not Democrat Party. You have to remember the 'ic.' Just think about the first thought that runs through your head when you see a minority. That should help you remember."
You know, Silence truly is golden. His was at least.
via @ 44:
Obama is fabulous at what he does, which is not let the bullies push him around. Bullies cannot be ignored. That isn't what stops them. But calling them on their shit, and getting a whole lot of people to call them on their shit, can work. So can humor, which he is very good at using to diffuse a situation. Ignore will not work. It didn't work for Kerry either.
Liberal AND Proud @ 40:
To close to a close election. We'll see the price go down, probably by 75¢ of what it is in July only to go back up in Dec.
They all pull that crap. And of course, the Dems have no balls, so they don't call them on it. The Dems, if they had balls, should start call the Rethugs what they are, the Fascist Party. Call them that to their faces, on Beat the Press, and all the other talking fools programs.
At least Harold Ickes used to get back in their faces; he's the only one who has demonstrated the appropriate fight back spirit. Too bad he's working for Shillary. We need a guy like him in the next administration, say, as Attorney General. Perp walks by the Fascists would become a daily feature (no, I'm not into "bringing us together").
in a strange kind of way I feel sorry for McCain.He doesn't stand a chance against either Dem candidate.Boosh reamed him in 2000 then promised him that he would be the nominee in 2008.
the thing is,boosh didn't tell him he was going to destroy the repub party,and the country for that fact.Nope,poor johnny.always a bridesmaid,but never the bride.
coming from a member of the Party of Felons and Child Predators?
POW giving a candidate credibility on defense (war)?
Not really, remember he was a "prisoner" and on the losing side.
And wants to be a loser again.
And as far as "terrorists" goes, I cannot think of any more cowardly act than bombing civilians from the air. Guernica all over, and in many countries (by many countries).
mudshark @ 57:
Never underestimate the stupidity of the American voter.
I guess intentionally mispronouncing the majority party, is the Republican way of showing "bipartisanship".
"Give us whatever we want, and we might even pronounce your name correctly"
I'm sure that they're trying to get into people heads,Democrat,Democrat,Democrat,
just trying to stir the hate in their base....and I'm sure some of them will go for it.
mudshark @ 57:
I kind of feel sorry for him too, but for a different reason. He's an old man trying to fulfill some kind of dream. Sadly, the only way he can do it is to be on the strings of the Republican party. He can't be his own man, he has to be their puppet. It's sad to see people allow themselves to be used this way. I'm not sure he has the patience or stamina to do all they will require of him. I don't think this is the way he envisioned himself as he tried to achieve his goal.
immigrant @ 3:
Careful what you say about the president. He may strike back at you with newkyoular weapons.
Looks like another person needs to be sent a copy of this handy guide:
http://xoverboard.com/cartoons/2003_10_22.html
yes mr mccain, I'm looking at you, and the rest of your Republan friends -
Nevil Longbottom @ 6:
Gotta love this poster! Right on comment and a nod to HPotter, too.
As for McCain, he slipped and started to call himself a liberal yesterday. He is either neurologically impaired or trying to fool a good portion of U.S. voters. Either way, the country is toast if he is elected.
The ONLY reason that the GOP has pushed the "Democrat" meme is because it sounds like "rat". Emphasis is usually on the "rat" part of the word to push it home. They are masters of propaganda - how else can they convince people election after election to vote against their own interests?
I suggest that we counter them by using the term "Repugnican" - combining the words "repugnant" with "Republican" - and if called on it apologize as if it were a mispronunciation.
And as for McCain, well he's about as repugnant as they come. It's time for him to retire to his harem of Stepford clones and leave the rest of us alone.
My cards say: VOTE FOR
KENNETH D.FRANKS
THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE
STATE REPRESENTATIVE-DISTRICT 9 It is an insult when they say Democrat candidate and it is meant to be an insult. Kenneth D. Franks Democratic Candidate for the Texas House of Representatives District 9. Shelby, Sabine, San Augustine, Jasper, and Nacogdoches Counties. When I hear this on television I dismiss any thing they say after that. When I hear it in person I correct them and move on.
CheneyIsADick @ 49:
LOL! I never caught that before! :)
That's fine. McCain wants the job so much, that he'll sell his 'maverick' soul to the unhinged Republican far-right just to get their few votes, and expect all of us to believe still that he's the same McCain as in 2000. Sorry, sir, you're not. You're an old fool. Emphasize old. You had your chance in 2000, and you didn't put Bush away like you should've, instead he put you away. You and that GOP party of yours are to blame for Bush and all the sorrows he's caused. Now is not the time for you. If it takes an election this year for you to find out how wrong you are for the country now, then so be it. You are wrong. In 2000 you were the better version.
This is stupid, even the Democrats at our local Democratic party offices often refer to themselves as the Democrat party at times. Come on, we've got bigger fish to fry than being the Global grammar police...
BIGGER THINGS AFOOT people
Mugsy @ 43:
It is offensive that they are threatened by the name "Hussein". I realize that intelligent people know it's just a middle name given to him at birth, but these knuckle draggers believe that ALL muslims are terrorists.
I think these types of tactics and listening to the racist yak appeals to those 20-some percenters. However, I know many moderate republicans and independents who are not racist nor do they want a theocracy. McCain will NOT get those folks' votes. So, as annoying as the moronic yammering is, I hope they keep it up!!
If hillary is elected, will Bill be in charge of redecorating the White House?
W says nukkular, McCain says Democrat. Two peas in a rotten pod.
This little word game is all part of the evil of being a republican.
Fairness Doctrine @ 25:
thats funny. everytime i say "frigid self-serving twat" i mean ingraham.
Although I am a Canadian, I tune in to the US political scene for the amusement of it all.
When the few rightwing whackos up here call your Democtatic party candidate 'Barack Hussein Obama', I merely comment:
"A year from now, he'll be President Hussein Obama, and you'll still be a bigot!"
;)
P.S. Yes, Canadians want to re-negotiate NAFTA -- last time the USA tried to screw us on the deal; this time we're ready for the double-dealing liars with our top trade negotiators. Bring it on!
Ooooops! Made a typo on 'Democratic' -- wasn't that the whole point of this thread?
Please don't tell any of those Repubes!
:)
And in case those links don't create properly, just copy and past this URL into your browser:
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/amfh_photos/EarlyVotingDentonCo...
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/amfh_photos/EarlyVotingDentonCo...
Steve Benen is wrong wrong wrong.
A person is a Democrat.
The party is the 'Democratic Party' - a name, both words are required just as all three of 'International Business Machines' is required in that specific form to be correct.
The party is the party of 'Democrats' which is a description.
McLoser can keep pretending he's a leader, but he's no leader.
to explain the pics I just posted:
Voted early here in Texas last Saturday - signs on bulletin board and inside voting room had all been defaced - the ic had been masking taped over or marked out with magic marker. When I asked about this, was told by a poll worker that ONE man complained that the word should read "Democrat" not "Democratic" - they blithely altered all signs. I said this was NOT correct and I wanted them correct back to original form. they told ME I would have to file a formal complaint with the county elections supervisor (the first guy who made them change the signs did NOT??).
I did call the super and was told poll workers had no business changing signs, and he would correct.
By Tuesday, they were STILL NOT corrected. Called again, was told that HE had been told by the local election judge that signs had been fixed.
Thursday, was told by a friend that signs still not fixed but that SHE personally removed the tape from signs on the bulletin board.
I called/emailed the super again - he was "shocked" as the local election judge was "very trustworthy". He said he'd have to request a new sign where the ic had been physically marked out, from the Dem party - he had not yet received the replacement.
This IS important, and IS offensive, and yes, we as Democrats (members of the DemocratIC party), have always taken the high road, been "more mature", dismissing Republics as being petty and "choosing" to merely ignore their antics.
IMHO, this is one reason we have lost several times in this long, sad past 7+ years...we NEED to stand up and make them accountable, yes, even for such as this.
Dave @ 81:
True ... but who are the leaders in the race? I dont see any to be honest. O'Bama is slick in the media, but I havent seen any more leadership from him than I have seen from George Clooney, who is about as popular.
I'm not sure any of these people are running to lead. Its as if they either want power to redefine the US to fit their vision (Bush and O'Bama are examples) or they think its their turn for power having waited in line (Hillary and McCain).
Sadly, a leader would have to represent the interests of the fascists in the US as well - which amounts to about half the population.
Why don't the Democratic party start calling them the Republic Party? It's simple.
You would think the party that wishes to make "English" the official language of the nation, they would demonstrate an understanding between an 'Adjective' and a 'Noun'.
That they are incompetent in their own tongue is iron ... oops, I mean, ironic.
Get ready for eight years of:
President Osama.
Wikipedia has a good entry on the history of this term.
Including this:
The noun-as-adjective has been used by Republican leaders since the 1940s and appears in some GOP national platforms since 1948. In 1947, Republican leader Senator Robert A. Taft said, "Nor can we expect any other policy from any Democrat Party or any Democrat President under present day conditions. They can not possibly win an election solely through the support of the solid South, and yet their political strategists believe the Southern Democrat Party will not break away no matter how radical the allies imposed upon it." President Dwight D. Eisenhower used the term in his acceptance speech in 1952 and in partisan speeches to Republican groups. Ruth Walker notes how Joseph McCarthy repeatedly used the phrase "the Democrat Party," and critics argue that if McCarthy used the term in the 1950s, then no one else should do so.
Enough with the parsing. Let's just adjust. Republicans are also referred to as the GOP. That's a one word acronym that sounds like "stop" when used as either a noun or an adjective.
Welcome to the discourse GOPs!
I wouldn't worry about McCain, really or the Right. Only that crazed and steady 30% of those who love Georgie and who watch Fox, and believe everything they both say, are going to stick with ol' John.
John is half-crazy and will fall on his own doings.
Stay tuned... "Breaking News" has announced he's about to speak at DELL'S Corporate Headquarters.
Let's see if John McCain can open those gates of hell - and have an in depth and substantive chat with a bunch of CEO's!
.
I think it is blatantly obvious, to get the repubs to call it the Democratic Party is to simply change the name to Democrat Party. Of course then they'll be calling it the Democrat-ick Party! Or Democratka, but who knows they may already be doing that!
Correction:
It is not a speech to CEO'S, my mis.
Another townhall ..with one issue - " no surrender, Osama, hell...blah blah"
He's not yet been asked a substantive question -by anyone, including his own audience members -about anything.
Just wait...
Svendem @ 9:
I was wondering if someone was going to point this out. I don't know the grammatical term for it, but nouns can indeed often be used as adjectives.
A case in point is right in the title of this post: "the 'ic' factor." Although "ic" is obviously not a word, in this phrase it serves as a noun being used as an adjective. "The X factor," "a fudge factor," and even "The O'Reilly Factor" are examples of the same construct. LIkewise "October" in "October surprise," "conspiracy" in "conspiracy theory," and many, many other examples.
Yup. It's obviously meant to annoy, and as childish as that is, I must admit it succeeds in annoying me a little. But look at the cost: they get a bit of cheap, stupid gratification, but they lower themselves in doing so. Remember, this is the party that thought it was a devestatingly clever dig to bring flip-flops (as in footwear) to their national convention as a way of mocking Kerry. My heart sank when I saw that -- how pathetic can people be?
Stop Stop Stop Stop Stop Stop
This IS NOT A SENTENCE IT IS A TRADEMARK.
International Business Machines MUST appear just like that as it is a trademark. It CANNOT appear as Internation Business Machines.
Qwest is a trademark and STEVE BENEN CANNOT question it based on spelling. It IS NOT a word, it IS a trademark.
Democratic Party is a trademark just as Republican Party is a trademark.
You could say, the party of democrats - as a sentence, because that IS NOT a trademark. It is YOUR phrase and as such is subject to the rules of english.
STOP IT. Its a trademark.
My take on the "Democrat Party" phrase is that it is deeper and more insidious than some political idea of not wanting to associate the Democrats with democracy. This is too cerebral for a Karl Rove strategy. I think the idea is that the unpleasant sound of this term evokes unpleasant feelings which are then subliminally associated with the Democratic party. No thinking required.
If only the general public would start referring to them by all the amusing and unpleasant epithets their various titles have accumulated.
reslug.
repuke
repig
conservotard
conservodroid
cons
grand old perv's
geriatric oddball's party etc.
And not just in general terms but in formal circumstances where the naming will provide the most harm and the most humor.
But then... who would want to be equated with a group so simple and devoid of merit that they are incapable of speaking without embarrassing themselves and proving their mental age that of ignorant children?
Let them speak it. And let them be corrected at every turn. And may they someday be in possession of enough intelligence to see how ridiculous they have become in the eyes of the world.
This article is below academic standard for worthless content.
There is far worse to be discussed than the communication skills of a war mongering, low collegiate scoring, silver-spoon fed millionaire senator.
Fuck John Hitler McCain.
Assassin @ 14:
Yep. It's always been about controlling image and perception.
Ya know, screw your party or ideology affiliation . . . WHY would conservatives vote for a fucking fool? I mean there are conservatives out there, electable ones, who are not SO damn dumb that it hurts to watch them speak. The only answer is that conservative voters are even stupider than Bush and THAT is scary. This election will go one of two obvious directions . . . one way, we can begin to repair the damage, the other way, it's the end of America and there will be no need to worry about it anymore. How anyone can even be our ally is beyond me. This is one of the most fuck-dumb human beings I have ever seen . . . and he is the President of the United States. Any chance we could sell the South off for scrap?
I hear it all the time on the blogs. Some one post's as a supporter for Obama and the invariably call the Democratic Party - "Democrat Party" it's easy to spot the cross over phony's when you see that. Just like it's easy to spot the corporate media love fest with Obama and the fear of a real Democratic leader Hillary Clinton. Not that Obama isn't a good Dem. It's only that most party loyalists know he will not be President if he gets the nomination by some fluke in the cross over votes.
It’s only that most party loyalists know he will not be President if he gets the nomination by some fluke in the cross over votes.
Should have added coupled with the heart vote not the smart vote.
Who cares what the PUBLICANS say.
snoozer @ 91:
Actually this is incorrect, as well as the original post. Yes, Democrat is a noun. And yes, Democratic is an adjective. No, Democrat is not an adjective. If you want to use the use as an adjective, you use "Democratic." But that is not the inherent reason that "Democrat Party" is wrong. It is not because of the function of the word "Democrat," but because "Democratic Party" itself, as a whole, is a noun. Just because it's two words, doesn't mean it contains two parts of speech. That's like saying "John" is an adjective when saying "John McCain."
Hey, if they want to play their little games...
Now didn't that feel better?
BilltheEmu @ 102:
Yes, *I* use "Democratic," but you're implying that "Democrat" can't be used as an adjective, which it can.
Your analogy is flawed, because the relationship between the words "Democratic" and "Party" is different from the relationship between the words "John" and "McCain." But I take your larger point, which is that "Democratic Party" is a proper noun phrase.
But unless they're writing rather than speaking, how do you know a given Republican is mispronouncing "Democratic Party"? They might be talking about the Democratic party (with a lowercase "p"), meaning the political party in America whose members are Democrats (uppercase "D"). In this case, "Democrat party" is perfectly grammatical.
I'll shut up now, since I'm starting to get into what I dislike about trying to either be a grammar Nazi or dispute one. Whether I'm right or wrong, it ends up being wasted breath (or pixels), and I almost never actually mind if people are flexible with their grammar. I bend and break the "rules" all the time.
It's as stupid & childish as Fixed Noise using "homocide" bomber to refer to in fact "suicide" bombers even when they have to say the "homocide" bomber blew himself up too. The Rethugs have nothing left so they resort to stupid, childish crap like that.
So nobody cares that signs at an early voting polling place in Texas were defaced?
I do.
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/amfh_photos/EarlyVotingDentonCo...
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/amfh_photos/EarlyVotingDentonCo...
snoozer @ 104:
'International Business Machines' and 'Qwest' are beyond the rules of english as are 'The Democratic Party' and 'The Republican Party'. Neither are phrases that can be analyzed. The party of democrats and the party of republicans are fair game.
... or do you propose spell checking Qwest?
Kevin @ 11:
Women are not held to high standards in the GOP.
Rarely is the question asked ....
Is our Republan politicians learning ?
danny @ 100:
Hillary is part of the DLC and thus not a party "loyalist" so are you referring to her supporters, or the real Dems?
xoites defends Constitution @ 27:
fixxed!
Just wait till August when gas flirts with $5.
They have to send the gas prices way up so there can be a precipitous fall before the election.
chuck @ 28:
Good one, cause they DO rape the public, but mostly just the under age ones.
Cripes sakes, give the old fart a break. Not everyone had education or has mastery of the English language. Certainly not this old fart.
Sometimes I wonder why we expect lazy, slack-ass, do nothing, AWOL - never-worked-a-day-in-my-life, bags of shit and old farts that have sold their souls to the devil to be able to use our language effectively.
These are morons we are dealing with. "stuffed shirts" that the neocon's stick their hands up their asses and move their mouths for them.
It ain't working, but you watch....there will be 48% of the American public voting for the idiots. Takes one to vote for one.
Svendem @ 37:
Funny you should mention that school in this thread. For several years, they had a tutoring program that put up tons of posters saying: "learn to study smart." When one prof called to suggest that the amusing irony wasn't worth the potential embarrassment, he had to explain, several times, what the problem was with the poster.
I'm feeling a little ic myself.
For me, it's the 'my friends' factor! I cannot watch or listen to him for the fact that he repeats that phrase in almost every sentence. I predict the man won't make it through the general election. He's confused, tired, and dispirited. He's afool to have wanted the nomination in the first place.
anon @ 108:
Not sure how spell checking is relevant or if we even disagree about anything. Not sure if by "analyzed" you mean "parsed," since anything can be analyzed. Not sure if you meant to capitalize "democrats" and "republicans" in your last sentence.
I am pretty sure most people, including me, aren't as expert in English grammar as they think they are, which is why I'm usually leery of grammatic gotchas used to make larger points, since there's often a counter-gotcha. If I were smarter I'd keep my counter-gotchas to myself, since people chime in who don't understand them, which just multiplies the problem. (Although sometimes people chime in with counter-counter-gotchas, and I learn something.)
I'm also pretty sure we all agree people like McCain and Hannity actually think they're being clever with this crap, but what they're doing is transparent to all on this thread, which is more important than whether "The Democratic Party" is an atomic syntactic unit, "beyond" analysis, with no internal structure.
(Okay, I lied about shutting up, but on the Internet it's hard to shut up sometimes.)
We have a president who can't command the English language. I'm certainly not going to vote for another one. The may or may not mean an offense, but they sound just plain ignorant.
The problem is Democrat Party is not the name of the party. It's a childish name-calling attack. They know this but they do it anyway. In some situations, calling a Chinese person the shortened version (which I'm sure McCain has done before) is considered quite offensive.
I complained to McClatchy Washington Bureau because they use "Democrat Profiles" on their 2008 Election website.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/election2008/
They say "Democrat Profile"
Sadly, it seems the Republicans are winning the war on this if "news" sites are buying into it and even making up their own complex rational for using "Democrat" as an adjective. Have they never heard of Occam's razor? Below is the reply I got from my complaint.
It seems a small thing in some ways, but when we let Republicans define us in anything it, is the thin edge of the wedge. They are very good at messaging and propaganda and would never allow a similar rebranding of their party!
This is the reply I got from McClatchy, If you don't like the wording, I suggest a few more people should send them emails.
Thank you for writing. I agree with you that "Democratic" is the adjective, not "Democrat," and in fact that is our style. In this case, however, I take the headers to mean "profiles of Democrats," not that the profiles themselves are Democratic. I thought it over when I first saw this notation on our Web site, but I decided then that "Democrat" was more precise in this case than "Democratic." (Even better, perhaps, would be "Democrats' profiles" and "Republicans' profiles.")
Yours for better grammar,
Beryl Adcock
harriett @ 118:
Yeah, not only is it repetitive, but it has the opposite effect of making me think of him as a friend. It sets off alarms in my head that say, "DO NOT TRUST THIS PERSON." And don't forget that in the Senate, when they talk about "my esteemed colleague across the aisle," they often mean "that moronic asshole I can't stand."
It bugs me in a similar way when Cornel West calls everybody "Brother So-and-So" or "Sister Such-and-Such." To me it feels too heavy, even a little presumptuous.
McBlusterBuss
BluestBlue @ 122:
I can understand a red flag going off when you saw the title, but I actually agree with Adcock's reply, including the possibly-even-better part. I think "Democrats' profiles" is a little awkward, but it would have avoided that red flag in people's minds.
This old bastard doesn't have a snow ball chance in hell of beating Obama. It makes no difference at all what these worthless polls say, as they are consistently off base and have no credibility what so ever.
It amazes me to watch all of the different polling data that is giving us all these bogus numbers of Hillary leading Obama and then you look at the massive crowds all over this man and it is not just blacks that is painful to them, but the white votes for him is even more massive then any of them would ever have expected.
It is going to be a pleasure beating the hell out of these tramps and even more of a pleasure to see American people coming together and attacking this system from every angle possible. We mean business this time and it ain't no stopping us now, cause we are definitely on the move.
Kevin @ 11:
How about we leave the stupid, schoolyard, nyah-nyah name calling to the republicans? Are we above this crap, or aren't we?
John McCain is just stupid.
Fine, maybe it's just time to start calling a spade a spade and from here on out refer to the GOP as the Fascist Party.
Whata ya expect from a RePIGlican ?
Is it just for the fact that it's primary season that we're taking any story, however lame, against McCain and running with it?
The entire current (as of Friday 12:01 am PST) McAKA List – alphabetized for easier reference:
snoozer @ 119:
I am pretty sure most people, including me, aren't as expert in English grammar as they think they are, which is why I'm usually leery of grammatic gotchas used to make larger points, since there's often a counter-gotcha. If I were smarter I'd keep my counter-gotchas to myself, since people chime in who don't understand them, which just multiplies the problem. (Although sometimes people chime in with counter-counter-gotchas, and I learn something.)
Heh, I fully admit that I could very well be wrong about what I said initially. However, and I'm not trying to sound condescending by saying this, but I am actually an English major, nearing completion of my degree. So I was basing my conclusions on the slew of grammar/linguistics courses that I've had. I still stand by what I said earlier, and that "democrat" is not an adjective, and I'll say that trademarks (?) have nothing to do with it.
And again, I do not claim to be the ultimate source of English grammar, far from it. But from my knowledge, those are the conclusions that I've reached.
(Also, there are no "rules of English," in a literal, all-encompassing sense, and the language, like any other, is fluid, and susceptible to change.)
BilltheEmu @ 132:
Fair enough, Bill. I was a computer science major, and we're notoriously bad at English, so I don't want to push my luck, but...
Note that you used the term "English major." This is a perfect example of a noun ("English") being used to modify a noun. If we're going to call this ungrammatical, we're going to have to stop using expressions like "market value," "desktop computer," "housing shortage," "Donation Drive," "Crooks and Liars Store," "Commenting Policy," "Site Monitors," and countless other examples. We risk embarrassing ourselves if we attack someone for being ungrammatical when they use a construct we use all the time.
I find Bush's use of 'Democrat Party' to be highly offensive. It reflects his lack of respect, his flippant disdain, for American traditions and institutions. It is another example of how he demeans the office of the presidency.
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