When I hear brain dead rightwing assholes call in to liberal radio shows and use "democRAT"

[randys1]

isntead of Democratic...

It really pisses me off...

You stupid, bigoted, racist and ignorant ASSHOLES are going to push too far one day...

[jeepers]

1. Forgive them

The very thought of democratic anything gives them apoplexy.

[randys1]

3. I am going to use that one

[Brigid]

8. Forgive them . . .

They know not what they do.

[unblock]

2. one day? they've been pushing too far for about 400 years in america....

[brucefan]

4. That always pissed me off too!

Which is the reason they do it in the first place

[leftyladyfrommo]

5. Here in KC they say Librals.

Those Librals are responsible for everything bad that has ever happened in the history of the world.

[shenmue]

10. I feel like carrying a chalkboard

so I can remind them there is an "e" in there.

[frylock]

16. like weekends, paid holidays, drinkable water, safe work conditions, etc.

i always invite the liberal bashers to put their money where their mealy mouth is and go into work over the weekend. be sure and take your kids too.

[leftyladyfrommo]

49. It's the Librals fault that all those mentally ill people

are homeless on the streets.

That's the last one I overheard. Them thar godless librals.

[Phentex]

22. Same here. It gets thrown around like that and often just

muttered under one's breath. I like to then ask if they know what a liberal is.

[Dreamer Tatum]

6. I heard someone use Democratous instead of Democratic.

I was like, "learn some chemistry." Sheesh.

[kelly1mm]

7. Really? I hear 'reTHUGlican' party all the time on the radio and read it here all the time. It is

simply part of the 'otherization' process. We dehumanize them, they dehumanize us ...... It is the way of politics for eons.

[randys1]

13. The equivalence argument, nope...They are disgusting racist pig pukes, we are not

[kelly1mm]

15. They are the 'other'. That is what matters. You can say they are the 'other' for

good reasons. However, the important part for the art of politics is that they be otherized, legitimately or not.

As you have so artfully shown.

[randys1]

18. You are talking about the Dem and Repub party pre Obama and pre teaparty

everything has changed

[kelly1mm]

20. I disagree. Humans seem to have an almost inate need to 'tribe up'. Be that by actual tribe,

race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, political party, city of residence etc.

This is not a new thing.

[randys1]

23. What is new is an entire segment of the population, almost 40% of America, so

full of hate and racism that they have lost touch with all reason, common sense, and are so bad off they are almost all sociopaths.

[kelly1mm]

24. Then it should be very easy to otherize them. What should we do? Brand them? Strip them of voting

rights? Send them all to Florida?

I say we cannot do anything about them but what we are doing, fighting against them in the political arena. I will chose not to diminish their humanity while I am at it. You are free to chose otherwise.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

25. So incredibly well said

Thank you!

[randys1]

26. Some have shown NO humanity, but I have not dehumanized them, I have identified them

as possibly the greatest danger our democracy has yet to face.

[kelly1mm]

28. So what should w do to those tt pose "possibly the greatest danger our democracy has yet to face"?

If what you want to do is call them names and that is it, and you feel that is the best way to effect the change you want to see, by all means, please proceed.

I tend to take a different approach and try to see the motivations of people and where we may be able to come to common ground, however small. Generally, that does not involve calling people names.

Now, if you say that these 'others' should not have the same rights as 'us', then we will have a problem.

A benevolent dictatorship is still a dictatorship.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

36. Yeah. They should all be rounded up -- because we're better than them!

[Alittleliberal]

39. While I agree with you

It's important to remember they think we are godless, drug using, baby killers.

[Kingofalldems]

14. I hear republican politicians use 'Democrat party' all the time.

I have yet to hear a Democratic politician use the term 'rethuglican'.

[kelly1mm]

17. This OP is about DUMB-o-crat not Democrat, and my comment was about radio and DU, not politicians.

However, I agree, I have also not heard D politicians call R's 'Republic' party .....

[Kingofalldems]

19. The OP says DemocRAT.

[kelly1mm]

21. Sorry! My bad! Have heard both. Anyway, the DemoRAT I have heard has emphasis on the

"Rat" part, not the damn near everyday dissing of D's as being "Democrat politicians".

Most R's (even politicians say Democrat when they should say Democratic. I have not heard R politicians say DemoRAT!, just radio call ins.

[cwydro]

34. I know.

The twisting or mispronunciation of words to make a juvenile slur is just silly. And unnecessary.

[Shrike47]

43. I have NEVER heard ReTHUGlican on the radio. What show(s)? I hear us being polite, them rude.

But maybe it's just the way I hear it...

[kelly1mm]

44. C-Span radio mainly (as I listen to that a bunch). I read it here most every day. nt

[Raine1967]

9. According to this link, they have used it since 1940.

Democrat Party (epithet) When you scroll down to the modern usage part, I personally blame it on the dumbing down brought to us by the republican party.

Particularly B*sh.

and Faux news ran with it.

[randys1]

12. It was my understanding whatshisname did it, the wordsmith the right uses

Luntz I think it is...real piece of shit, that one

[Raine1967]

41. I think you are right, Luntz.

I know Thom has mentioned it and Randi Rhodes did many many times.

It sucks, and it pisses me off.

[onecaliberal]

11. "Bless their hearts"

Stupid is as stupid does.

[Turbineguy]

27. Just following orders.

From RW Hate Radio and Faux.

[malaise]

29. It's used regularly by folks on M$Greedia

That's why I call them all ReTHUGs but at least mine is accurate

[WhiteTara]

30. In my county in Arkansas, the party leaders call

us Democrats...I don't know that they emphasize Rat, but I did tell them they were being disrespectful, the result was I was removed from the email list and asked not to appear at meetings...I think the leadership should be replaced and I'm an outsider.

[jwirr]

31. So which sentence is corret: I am a Democratic or I am a Democrat. Democratic is most often used

in conjunction with the Democratic Party and not when talking about a singe person who is a democrat. I am Democratic works also but it is a verb in this sentence and not a noun.

I am 73 years old and remember FDR. Until recently I have never heard this argument. When did the Party want us to stop saying Democrat? I collect old memorabilia and the word is used on banners, bumper stickers and buttons.

Read some of the answers to the post. Are you saying the they emphasize the "rat"? That would be totally different and I would just ignore them - they qualify as stupid.

[randys1]

32. YOU are a Democrat, I am a DemocratIC politician

NOt stop saying Democrat, they use Democrat when DemocratIC is appropriate, listen closely to all con politicians and they wont say Democratic Leader , they will say Democrat leader, they will always intentionally leave off the IC when it would be appropriate to be there for the purpose of referring to us as RATS

ALL rightwing pundits do it, ALL rightwing radio people and ALL republican politicians do it

DemocratIC politicians do NOT do anything similar in reverse

it is an outright statement of them saying they hate half of this country and I fucking HATE IT

[jwirr]

33. Okay. I guess I have not been listening enough. Sorry. I am proud to be a Democrat.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

38. What's the proper adjective form for "Grammar Nazi?"

[randys1]

54. Are you calling me a Nazi?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

61. I'm pretty sure I wrote, "grammar nazi."

[randys1]

62. So to you, a DEMOCRAT, being called a RAT on purpose by elected officials doesnt

bother you at all?

Not AT ALL?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

65. I try to remember --

Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.

I mean, come on, guy; your OP says one day they're going to push too far. But then what? Nobody is going to feel terribly threatened by someone who gets so upset over name-calling.Considering it's done to provoke emotional angst I'd say they already have the upper hand.

[randys1]

66. I have read your posts and you sure seem to have the pulse of the American liberal

[Nuclear Unicorn]

67. How is pointlessly raving about trivial things a liberal trait?

[beevul]

40. You're a politician? N/T

[randys1]

52. No, I was making the example, I can see that would be confusing though, sorry

[Posteritatis]

35. It seems to have started (correct me, DUers?) a half dozen years back or so?

It seems that the Republicans started using "Democrat" where you'd normally say "Democratic" ("the Democrat party," "Democrat congressmen" instead of "the Democratic Party" or "Democratic congressmen&quot almost out of the blue.

I actually don't understand why it's such an insult (though I get that it's meant as one and that matters). Some of the snarky language in politics baffles me at times and that's one of the ones that had me wondering "just what's going on here?" more than usual.

[jwirr]

37. Thank you.

[CTyankee]

47. I'm not so sure the slur is still potent...not with the unpopularity of the Republican Party

these days. Hence, the attempted "make-over" by the Republicans of late. They pushed their luck once too often by just saying NO all the time. The voters have caught on. It remains to be seen if anything will get done after this makeover. We'll see.

IMO, they will inevitably screw up again and start ranting and saying NO. I will always despise them.

[randys1]

53. Maybe not, but it pisses me off...Especially when I realize the person saying it has

not a single clue about anything.

[JHB]

60. The use is much older than that...

...old enough that I think some portion of the people who use it have heard it that way so long that they don't know it's wrong.

And another portion is so used to saying it "among themselves" they don't think to clean it up when talking in public.

But most are just getting in a childish little dig.

[Raine1967]

42. Here is my delineation:

When speaking of the party, as in the Democratic party… (my party) when someone refers to it as the Democrat party, I know they are a pushing RW bullshit.

When someone says a person is a Democrat— That's fine.

Al franken is a Democrat.

As sure as the sun rises and sets he is a member of the Democratic party and if anyone EVER says he a member of the Democrats they can all rot in a sewer along with every other rat that tried to besmirch us.

[PeteSelman]

45. And so, they have won.

Because that's why they do it. Congratulations, you've given them exactly what they want.

[randys1]

51. I wish it was that simple, changing the language changes the thinking...

[freshwest]

46. Actually, the more common perjorative is DEMON-RAT.

Don't forget LIE-BERAL, baby killers, man haters, godless commie muslin liberation theology ANT-CHRISTS and spawn of the Devil.

You should know the drill by now. Heck, I've forgotten half the names I've been called. Even before I became a race traitor as an Obama supporter. Ticks them off so bad they're completely around the bend.

BTW, they say the Founding Fathers were all pedophile devil worshipping blood drinkers and insane. But they love that there Constitution, doncha know.

[Ms. Toad]

48. Give it a rest.

large numbers of Democrats make the same mistake.

[randys1]

50. First, no I wont give it a rest and second, they make the mistake because

they have heard the assholes say it over and over.

Sheesh...this isnt brain surgery, do you not understand how powerful language is?

I suggest you watch some George Carlin videos

[Ms. Toad]

57. I understand how powerful language is,

but this is not something invented by the conservatives to slam Democrats. It is the way many people - including many working class Democrats I have worked alongside all my life - have talked for as long as I can remember political conversations. That goes back to the late 60s/early 70s.

To the extent it is specifically being used to taunt democrats now, it is because of reactions like yours. They find relatively innocent things that they see provoke a reaction, and just keep poking.

When we slam conservatives as being idiots because they can't spell - or because they misuse use a noun as an adjective - we are also slamming a lot of solid members of the Democratic Party who make the same mistakes. If I'm going to exclude people from the causes I support, it won't be because they have imperfectly mastered the English language.

[randys1]

59. Oh my no, so wrong

1. Very few people intentionally used the term incorrectly until the last ten years

2. It has NOTHING to do with someone unable to master the language, it has to do with people intentionally using the term

You can go to Meet The Press shows from the 70's 80's and even 90's and you wont hear it once, then go for the past 12 years or so and EVERY republican will use it

[Ms. Toad]

63. I'm talking about the rank and file Democrats who don't end up

on shows like Meet the Press.

Many people use the noun democrat as an adjective, and have for as long as the party has been around. Those prominent enough to be on Meet the Press are more likely to be among those who have always used it correctly. But reviewing old TV shows doesn't counter my decades of experience in day to day encounters with many rank and file Democrats who don't use it correctly.

I'm not disagreeing that Republicans are now using it incorrectly deliberately. As I noted, they have discovered what gets a rise out of people like you, and they like little more than to provoke a response out of proportion with the offense.

But - in reacting with anger and condescension about terms used by many within the Democratic Party, you are also alienating Democrats who are innocently misusing it.

[HappyMe]

55. Meh.

It just doesn't bother me.

It's their crappy policies that bother me.

[randys1]

56. You will live longer than me, probably...lots of shit bothers me that I am powerless over

[HappyMe]

58. You have to pick your battles.

Somebody being snotty by saying DemocRATS just doesn't trip my trigger. Besides, they do it because they want an angry reaction. Why give them that.

[Skittles]

64. chances are high most of them don't even know it is incorrect