CCRC Editorial Section

(Sent to Union Leader and Keene Sentinel 2 Jul 09)

The war of words

I have many friends in the Republican party, and FRUSTRATION is a very commonly expressed  feeling.  This frustration is a mix of anger at the other party for steamrolling their radical agenda, helplessness at having no forum in which to express this anger, and despair over our Party leaders inability (or unwillingness) to change the political dialogue on the main issues of the day.  Added to this frustration is the blatant bias of many in the left-wing press, and their “slobbering love affair” (a la Bernie Goldberg) with a great actor, “playing” the role of President of the United States.   

There is general agreement that the Democrats have played, and are continuing to play, their cards masterfully.  They express their agenda in easy to understand (albeit misleading) words and phrases.  The press picks these words and phrases up, and “legitimizes” them.  The Democratic words become the popular description of the issues.  And the Republicans sit around with their thumbs in their mouths, criticizing the Democrats and the press.  There's an old expression: “Don't get mad, get even”.   

Is it too radical to suggest that what's missing is a REPUBLICAN AGENDA, an agenda which selects equally powerful pejorative words and phrases to name and highlight the agenda items.  Such words and phrases would express the emotional content of the issues, words and phrases describing a Republican “brand”. 

Just one example from recent memory.  Democrats and Republicans, and the Press spilled millions of words over what were reputed to be two budgets, a Democratic budget and a Republican budget.  But there was a problem with this phraseology, because there never was a Democratic budget, in any reasonable interpretation of the word “BUDGET”.  Republicans should have called it a “WISH LIST”, a much more accurate appellation.  It isn't balanced, it makes ridiculous assumptions about revenue, and is hardly worthy of the dictionary description of the word “budget”.   

There are many other examples which require more elaboration than can be fruitfully covered in this one letter, but let me mention a few.  A favorite of the Democrats is “Investment”, a bland descriptor for spending lots of money we don't have, or “47 million uninsured Americans” to imply helplessness, and hopelessness, on the part of a substantial fraction of us, or “fair” tax (try the dictionary for the voluminous meanings of fair), or “global warming” (making the assumption that warming is a given), and most recently “public option”, implying that bureaucrats understand the meaning of the word “option”.  “Cap & Trade” for cap and tax.  You get the idea, and can likely add many others.  Suggestions? 

Send them to drfred@hughes.net

So what should frustrated Republicans do??  How about screaming at their leaders to stand up, and select (and repeat and repeat and repeat) meaningful words, with meanings that are not the pejorative (and deliberately misleading) ones that the Democrats paste on them, but express their real meaning.  The English language is quite flexible.  Why not use it for a change?  It might even be refreshing. 

I'm reminded of Pogo, “we have met the enemy, and he is us”.  'Nuf said.

Fred Ward 
drfred@hughes.net

Food for Thought...

There was a southern General named Pickett who became famous, not for his many brilliant battles, but for charging up a hill at Gettysburg into an army which had chosen the time, the place and the weapons for the fight against him.  He had made the classic mistake of letting his enemy choose all the important aspects of the battle, a mistake that caused the deaths of thousands of brave, well-armed men. 

The Republican Party has been emulating General Pickett for some years now, and this emulation continues to the present day.  The Party, and its leaders, have allowed the Democrats to chose the time for their battles, the battlefields on which the fight would be fought, and the weapons to fight with.  The Democrats have been allowed to select the times to bring important issues before the electorate, the venues within which to present the issues, and the appropriate names and descriptions of these issues.  The Republicans then react to these events, at the times of the Democrats choosing, within the venues the Democrats have selected, and with the very same names the Democrats have chosen.  Is it any wonder that Republican responses are generally ignored?  Is it a surprise that Republicans end up on the losing side of the battle?   

Republicans have allowed the Democrats to call the tune, then we argue over the lyrics.  Is it any wonder that no one is listening? 

Tuition at Universities

Health care

Fair tax

GM Government Motors

Bureaucrat

Global Warming (“warming” prejudges the issue, “climate” is more accurate, “ups and downs” would be pejorative in the opposite direction) 

Words are very important, and precise words convey a meaning far beyond anything in the dictionary.  More importantly, carefully chosen words can hammer home an idea in a way that an extended phrase cannot.  The Democrats have been very artful in their choice of words (and phrases) to describe various issues.  The most recent example is the choice of a “public option” to discuss their proposed, government-run health program.  The words convey a freedom-to-choose message, not the real meaning, only ONE choice, a program run by bureaucrats.  And note the bad reputation “bureaucrat” has acquired, a useful tool for Republicans to use, if they ever wake up.. 

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