Who will call out Bush on use of "Democrat" Party

[UnityDem]

We know that this whole thing was started by Rove. Limbaugh pushed it. Other RW radio talkers got the memo and then in snowballed. Then a few REpub Congress members people started using it. Now, they all use it. Even The President has used it on several occasions during press conferences.
All it would take is ONE "so called" journalist to stop it.
If just one reporter would directly ask the President this after he has used it: "Sir, why do you refer to the Democratic Party as the Democrat Party?"
He would have to answer that direct question and it would become a national story about its origins.
They would be called on it and they would look foolish and sophmoric for it.
Is there any member of the White House Press Corp that will do this?
David Gregory, maybe?
Helen Thomas?

[DemNoir]

1. The problem is

A lot of Democratic politicians are starting to say "Democrat party". I am hearing it all the time.

If you listen to Air America most of the hosts are saying "Democrat party".

[HereSince1628]

2. Renaming gives a sense of power, this is why Bush nicknames

everyone and also why the R's (and everyone else too) does it.

There are so many things of substance to worry about, most of us have no interest in fighting about it. If we accept it as evidence of their inanity it loses the power to be an insult.

[UnityDem]

3. I know why they do it

My point is that they have NEVER BEEN CALLED ON IT. So, Dems have joined in by "owning it" and acting like it doesn't bother us. It should bother us. They are CHANGING the name of our party. If Bush was asked to explain why he uses a word that he knows to be WRONG and grammatically incorrect (insert joke here), it would point how they CHANGE things just because they want to. The larger story then becomes what other things (facts) they change to benefit them. I know there are much bigger things to worry about. However, pointing this out is a very SIMPLE thing to do that could lead to scoring some political points, imho.

[HereSince1628]

7. Sure they have. And Al Franken continues to do so.

Just look around and see how effective he is...

It's a game the R's have been playing since at least the early 80's and I remember it being of a fuss on McNeil-Leher in the 90's, and also remember it being a deal for cable's screaming pundit shows during the Clinton impeachment.

The Democratic Party is still called the Democratic Party after 25 years, even if some of its policy positions from that earlier time are in recovery.

[liam_laddie]

14. Throw it back...

I always use "republic party" (lower case) when referring to the idjits.

[Dinger]

4. It Would Be Nice If SOMEONE Would Ask, Wouldn't It? (nt)

[Benhurst]

5. It's cruel to ask Bush to to pronounce

a four syllable word.

:spank:

[UnityDem]

6. Here's why this MATTERS

The conventional wisdom (perpetuated by mainstream media) is that Dems are always unorganized, always have no plan, don't stand for anything.
A college professor once told me that the most beautiful word to anyone is that "person's own name".
We love hearing our own name. Marketers know this.
When you won't stand up for your own name when it's PURPOSELY being changed, what else won't you stand up for? Believe me, REpubs like Rove know this. They laugh about how they've gotten by with it. You can just hear them saying, "Dems won't fight this. They won't think it's important. They don't fight things this 'low brow' and insignificant".
It is not insignificant to me. I don't want my change named by someone who doesn't like me and I don't want my political party's name changed by the opposition party.

[elocs]

8. I can understand that this is your pet peeve,

but I think this Democrat/Democratic Party thing is being way over-dissected. As was posted, my Democratic leaders use it as well as the hosts on Air America. Your average American does not care and many see it simply as Republicans are members of the Republican Party and Democrats are members of the Democrat Party. I most often use "Democratic Party" but wouldn't you know that maybe the one time I wrote "Democrat Party" here at DU there were some posters who went bananas about it, but they pounced upon it because they did not like what my post was about and so used my use of "Democrat Party" as an excuse to accuse me of being a freeper. Democrats should stop looking for a reason to be cannibalistic and eating their own.

[TankLV]

10. It IS important.

I don't care if YOU dont' mind,k but WE do - you know - us DEMOCRATS.

I don't know what group YOU belong to...

[elocs]

11. How exactly do you know that all of the "we" agree with you?

I have been a member of the Democratic Party for 35 years now and I'm not going to get bent out of shape about it because there are far more important issues to address. Apparently it is not a big deal to Air America hosts either. Perhaps you should straighten them out also. Good one with the "I don't know what group YOU belong to..." quip which is exactly what I said that if somebody does not agree with your point of view they must not be a Democrat. Get a grip. Most Americans do not care and most Democrats do not either. And my "most" is just as verifiable as your "we". Neither one of us can profess to speak for everyone, but we can give our opinion which some will agree with and some will not.

[Evergreen Emerald]

15. I disagree with you

It is a big deal. It is demeaning and ugly and an attempt to further dehumanize us. Every time it is said it is like spitting the name out with no respect.

A democrat of 35 years should not stand for it. It is time to stop allowing them to get away with the little things: that is what got us to this point in the first place. For years we allowed them to redefine "liberal." They are not going to redefine me anymore.

[elocs]

17. Well, then please straighten out Air America about it

as well as Democratic leaders who use it that way. My contention is that most Americans probably do not look at it in a negative way. If I had a list of things to get bent out of shape about, that would be far, far down on the list with everything else going on. I think we need to pick our battles and not go ballistic on every little thing that bothers us.

[Evergreen Emerald]

18. I would like to know who on Air America says it

I listen to Air America and have never heard it spoken by a progressive. But, I certainly will straighten them out through e-mail if you can point to specifics.

You are right. There are so many things to fight about. One of them is the essence of who we are. It is huge to me that the lying, cheating, neo-cons are attempting to redefine and relabel the democratic party. The foundation from which we stand and fight. BS. It is not acceptable. It is not a throw-away issue. They should be called on it every time.

[elocs]

21. I am not sure, see post #1:

"The problem is

A lot of Democratic politicians are starting to say "Democrat party". I am hearing it all the time.

If you listen to Air America most of the hosts are saying "Democrat party".

I still think that most Americans do not differentiate between Democrat Party and Democratic Party and they don't see the difference as being negative. I don't. Not everybody is going to be bothered by exactly the same things. We are all still Democrats though.

[TankLV]

9. No one. They don't care. They would call us whiners.

So, a new poster, who disables his/her profile, spews that "we" should not worry about it.

WE doubt you are a part of "us".

Your post and behaviour prooves it.

Go lie to somebody else...

[Benhurst]

12. The old Repub canard was that the Democratic party was not

democratic.

Well, the Republican party certainly is not republican. It has brought us to the verge of a dictatorship, shredded the Constitution and all but one the Bill of Rights.

We are the Democratic Party. And, yes, the name does matter.

If they insist on playing that game, we should start calling them the Repubes.

[Bonobo]

16. Your rhetoric, attitude and spelling sicken me.

"You" "Us"

"Not one of us". etc.

You have absorbed most of what being a Repuke is all about. "You" might as well join them.

Oh, by the way, the word is "proves".

Please stop posting. You shouldn't even have access to a computer at your (mental) age.

[Evergreen Emerald]

13. I find it so offensive

And I have not heard it from anyone other than republicans towing the talking-points line. Who on Air America says that? I have never heard it from a progressive.

As was stated earlier, it is further attempt to demean democrats--by changing our name and redefining who we are. I will not stand for it.

I agree with the original poster. It should be pointed out as improper English every time it is used, and the user questioned about the purpose of attempting to change the name.

[UnityDem]

19. Somewhat similar to the "q" word or "n" word?

I'm sure there may be some Air America hosts or other progressives/liberals/Dems that use the word "democrat" party interchangeably for "democratic" party.
However, if they are doing so to now "own it", I believe that is bad strategy.
Just as I think it is WRONG and bad strategy for gays and African Americans to use offensive words to describe themselves to "take away the power" of those words. Words matter. Language matters. Republicans know this. George Lakoff has been trying to show Democrats how this matters. People should be called what THEY WANT TO BE CALLED and not defined by their opponents/enemies.
Define yourself. Don't let others do so. Okay, off my soapbox. I know that my ranting about it here really won't matter (unless some enterprising and "brave" reporter just happens to see this thread and agrees that this is a worthwhile question to ask those who use this word incorrectly ).
:eyes:

[BamaLefty]

20. I have no clue

The GOP chair here in Alabama does it too. WTF?

[gulliver]

22. It's very, very different when Bush does it.

It is a blatant show of disrespect by Bush. Has any president in recent memory done anything so petty? He is showing his true colors.

When a run-of-the-mill lackey calls us the "Democrat Party" on TV, I am for calling it out but being big about it. When Bush does it, it is very different. He is not in an interview situation, so he knows there is no one to defend against his insult. The mark of a coward.

[Lindacooks]

23. Just start calling them 'the Repubic Party'

Will make everybody think of pubic hair, which is their symbol.

[Nye Bevan]

24. I can't really get worked up about this issue

OTOH, if the chimp was saying DemoCRAP party, that would annoy me.