mediamatters.org/items/200608160005
Party" -- and the media comply Summary: Several media figures, including news reporters, echoed Republicans by employing the word "Democrat" as an adjective to refer to things or people of, or relating to, the Democratic Party.
article for the August 7 issue of The New Yorker that the word "Democrat" is a noun, arguing that its use as an adjective defies the rules of English grammar: The American Heritage College Dictionary, for example, defines the noun "Democratic Party" as "One of the two major US political parties, owing its origin to a split in the Democratic-Republican Party under Andrew Jackson in 1828." Hertzberg noted that Republicans "as far back as the Harding Administration" have referred to the "Democrat Party," including late Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-WI), who "made it a regular part of his arsenal of insults," and former Sen.
" Further, Hertzberg wrote that "among those of the Republican persuasion," the use of " 'Democrat Party' is now nearly universal" thanks to "Newt Gingrich, the nominal author of the notorious 1990 memo 'Language: A Key Mechanism of Control,' and his Contract with America pollster, Frank Luntz." While Hertzberg noted that Luntz "road-tested the adjectival use of 'Democrat' with a focus group in 2001" and "concluded that the only people who really dislike it are highly partisan adherents of the ...
broadcast of CBS' Face the Nation, guest host and CBS News correspondent Scott Pelley used "Democrat" as an adjective four times, referring to both the "Democrat Party" and the "Democrat primary," during an interview with Connecticut Democratic Senate candidate Ned Lamont. Additionally, Media Matters' review found similar use of the word "Democrat" as an adjective by the following reporters and media figures: * CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley, on the August 8 edition of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360.
Even though you defeated him in the Democrat primary, he's decided to run as an independent in the general election, but Senator Lieberman is attending the wedding of his daughter this weekend, and it's undoubtedly a more pleasant thing to do than be on Face the Nation.
PELLEY: Our CBS News polling in your race showed that among Democrats in Connecticut, more than 80 percent said the war was important to them in -- in their vote. The question is: Do you think an anti-war candidate can win the presidency in 2008?
PELLEY: Running as a -- as an anti-war candidate in Connecticut, in the Democrat primary -- again, a very small slice of the national pie -- what lesson should the Democratic Party take from your victory when looking at the nation as a whole? From the August 8 edition of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360: ANDERSON COOPER (host): Candy Crowley joins me now from Connecticut, also Amy Walter, the senior editor of The Cook Political Report. If that's true, if there are a lot of people in Connecticut feeling that Joe Lieberman had sort of focused too much on the national effort -- no longer represented their interests -- that does not bode well for him running as an independent. CROWLEY: Well, it doesn't, except for that they've made this choice very deliberately. They looked at the numbers, and what they saw was that there is huge support among Connecticut Republicans and independents. And remember that independents, those that are not affiliated with either Democrat or Republican parties -- this is the largest party in Connecticut. They saw how he polled with those people, and they made a very deliberate choice a couple of weeks ago, knowing that this was going to be his best route to return to the US Senate. From the May 26 edition of CNN's American Morning: FRANKEN: The plot really thickens on this one.
is saying is, is that the leaks about his being part of another investigation are really part, to quote his interview with WGN Radio in Chicago: "This is one of the leaks," he says, "that come out to try to intimidate people and we're just not going to be intimidated on it." From Toner's May 31 New York Times article: One reason for Democratic optimism here is the possibility of a wounded Republican nominee emerging from a bitter (and relatively late) primary. Mr Ford's major opponent in the Democrat primary withdrew recently, giving him the luxury of running a general election campaign -- raising money and running advertising, most recently on the price of gasoline. From Francis' August 11 Wall Street Journal article: During the bidding, political tensions are mostly muted, though in 1998 Ms Harris dubbed the baby possum she won for $100 "Sandra" after her opponent for secretary of state, Sandra Mortham. This year, Republican and Democrat candidates stood together as the auction approached, eyeing the nearby cage of possums, including a big, one-eyed male that the handlers called "fierce." From Barnhart's August 15 Chicago Tribune article: The prospect of a Democrat Party takeover of the US House in the fall election bothers conservatives; the thought of more than two more years of George W Bush depresses liberals. From Raum's June 16 AP article: One set of numbers Bush will not give and which Democrats and some Republicans are pressing for the hardest is the timing and size of a US troop withdrawal. Telegraphing such a timetable would be "bad policy," Bush says. Democrat Party chief Howard Dean, however, says, "The reality is that our troops and their families still have no strategy from this president to get the job done in Iraq and get them home." From Jackson's May 16 AP article: The Republican and Democrat candidates for Pennsylvania governor Republican former Pittsburgh Steelers star Lynn Swann and Gov. If elected, Swann would become the state's first black governor.
Next * If I didn't know better, I'd almost think it was a conspiracy... Just shows the media hasn't learned a thing - or they're conciously complicit - about enabling republicans & conservatives to control not just the debate, but the very language.
The party is called the "Democratic Party" and not the "Democrat Party." Would you like someone to distort your name for some petty reason? The republicans figured out years ago that when people here the word "Democratic" they immediately think of democracy. The republicans couldn't allow that to continue so they purposefully altered the party's name. Personally, it irritates me when someone uses "Democrat" when they should be using "Democratic."
Flag this comment o your username is appropriate Does anyone actually think that if republicans and the odd media figure starts calling the democratic party, the "Democrat party" that this will influence even ONE vote come 2006, and 2008? When this issue is placed beside the issue of conservative leaders and MANY media figures constantly refering to the Democratic Party or the left as "weak on terror" or "the al queda candidate/party" or "cut and runners", it seems insignificant to say the least. The republicans have stepped on our toe, and here we are crying murder while more heinous crimes go on uncontested.
Newt and other republic party strategists must think it has an effect or they wouldn't have consciously changed their usage. This by itself would be insignifigant, but it is part of a larger strategy to control the language of the debate and when given inches they take miles.
Flag this comment # Something the MMA Article Didn't Note Is... that the other reason they say "Democrat" party is also because of the word "rat". Personally, I think the Dems should respond in full and start calling Republicans "Repuglicans". It's simple, subtle, effective and a hell of a lot more appropriate for the Repuglican party.
Flag this comment * the dumbest posting ever on MMFA, here is what you should be posting - billo said on 8/15 that the democrats have NO plan on iraq, but then today said that we need a new plan for iraq, admitting that the republican plan was a failure. It should be noted that it has been absent since the 2004 election.
Flag this comment + This does matter If the republicans spent half their time attending to real issues instead of holding focus groups to see what gets a rise out of who this country would be a lot better off. The fa...
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