It's "Democratic"As noted by Media Matters for America in August 2006, a nasty habit has cropped up in right-wing circles and, increasingly, in the media. At some point, Republicans and other right-wing types began using the incorrect adjective to refer to their opposing party. Increasingly, media types have been parroting the slight. Make no mistake, this is a deliberate mashing of the English language, meant to alleviate confusion of the big-D Democratic Party and the small-d adjective modifying any number of other nouns, highly popularized in the 1990s by Newt Gingrich. President Bush's sore-thumb use of it in his State of the Union speech of Jan. 23, 2007, however, has made it clear that this insulting useage has seeped too far into the lexicon. It's time to start fighting it. It's "Democratic." We are the Democratic Party. And if Republicans aren't just mouthing all of that "bipartisan" and "compromise" talk following the 2006 mid-term elections, they'll respect the opposition enough to not use this insulting phrase anymore. And if Democrats are serious about leading this country in a new direction, they'll bark corrections any time they hear this insult. Stand up for the Democratic Party, people. You've earned the right. And finally, let's address the most heinous violators of all, the media. Shame on the journalists for this, injecting langauage into news stories and commentary that you know is meant to be politically derisive, and not to mention that you know is grammatically challenged. Each and every one of you who has ever used this construction of language should have to eat the "D" section of your AP Stylebook for breakfast and an entire Strunk and White for lunch. What's wrong with you? Democrats, please take heed: If the practice of dropping the "-ic" from "Democratic Party" doesn't face a fight here and now, it stays, and the Democrats once again allow the Republicans to define them. Indeed, they will have allowed the Republicans to stitch a sorry insult directly into their quilt. If you don't fight for "Democratic," you cannot fight for the Democratic Party. Remember these words. Practice them in a mirror. "Ahem. It's 'Democratic.'" Thank you. Media Matters: GOP strategists christen "Democrat [sic] Party"— |