# Attention: Any EARNEST use in political discussion of the following terms brands the user an idiot **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 20, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381 "2011-01-20T21:34:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/1 "2011-01-20T21:34:45Z")
To start with, from the RW side: Obamacare Obamanomics death panel warmist glow-ball warming Islamofascist Democrat Party Demonrats Dhimmis Dummiez Essentially, any disparaging variation on “Democrats” From the LW side: Repugnican Rethugnican Essentially, any disparaging variation on “Republicans” And . . . that’s about it. “Teabagger” might be in poor taste but is not idiotic. “Teahadist” is just too **kewl** to be idiotic. Any use of “bigots” might be a real **subject** for debate and might sometimes be idiotic but does not by itself brand the user an idiot. Godwinization is _sui generis._ “Fascist” is probably idiotic-by-default but does not, by itself, constitute Godwinization. But it’s **always** a mark of idiocy, and dishonesty too, when RWs use it to describe anything on the left. Anything I forgot to list? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/2 "2011-01-20T21:43:06Z")
Any sentence containing both “Clinton” and “blow job” is unlikely to lead to productive discourse. (Except the first sentence in this post, naturally.) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/3 "2011-01-20T21:44:14Z")
Variants on dhimmitude would be acceptable in context of non-muslims being second-class citizens _in Muslim countries_ (a context it almost never has). Since even if this happens in America it would not be until long after those who worry about it are dead, it is inappropriate to discussions of America’s relationship with Islam. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/4 "2011-01-20T21:49:03Z")
“Pubbies”. In a generic sense: “Thrown under the bus” “All eyes on…” “Civil discourse” (fuck that). Any mention whatsoever of the Kardashians.\* \*I know, they don’t usually come up in political discussion but I am tired of seeing references to and/or photos of these horrendously plasticky-looking, useless humanoids. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/5 "2011-01-20T21:54:36Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > “Pubbies”. No . . . not, I think, idiotic. “Pubs” and “Dems” certainly are not idiotic, merely shorthand. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/6 "2011-01-20T21:55:07Z")
Rightards. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/7 "2011-01-20T21:55:58Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Any mention whatsoever of the Kardashians.\* > \*I know, they don’t usually come up in political discussion but I am tired of seeing references to and/or photos of these horrendously plasticky-looking, useless humanoids. Could be worse. Could be Sarah Jessica Parker. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/8 "2011-01-20T22:03:25Z")
Libtards Seriously, just grow the fuck up and go back to 3rd grade already. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/9 "2011-01-20T22:06:26Z")
Also, “tighty-righty”. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/10 "2011-01-20T22:11:20Z")
“Anti-choice” or “anti-life”. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/11 "2011-01-20T23:04:22Z")
“Tard” conjoined with **any** political/ideological designation. “Corporate lackeys” in any context except to designate media organizations, pundits, scientists, etc., that are actually and literally paid to promote corporations’ positions. “Liberal elite”. “Confederacy” to refer to the modern southern US. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > And . . . that’s about it. Honey, you ain’t seen nothing yet. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/12 "2011-01-20T23:06:52Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > “Anti-choice” or “anti-life”. > > Regards, > Shodan Agreed. Or “pro-life.” The non-idiotic phrase would be “anti-abortion.” Everyone who is not omnicidal is “pro-life.” NARAL, OTOH, is properly “pro-choice,” not “pro-abortion” – that is, does not regard abortion as a duty or an end-in-itself. But to the other side, **stopping** abortion is an end-in-itself, therefore, “anti-abortion.” ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/13 "2011-01-20T23:09:20Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Also, “tighty-righty”. Not a chance. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/14 "2011-01-20T23:14:48Z")
You left off “socialist.” (Unless you’re including it as an understood variation of “Democrats.” :D) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/15 "2011-01-20T23:49:47Z")
I’ve heard that the Kardashians are all Islamofascists, every last one of them. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/16 "2011-01-21T00:09:01Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > You left off “socialist.” > > (Unless you’re including it as an understood variation of “Democrats.” :D) I was trying to omit any term that has legitimate non-idiotic uses. However, in the U.S. at present, if you see the word “socialist” used by, or of, anyone other than a self-ID’d socialist, it is probably being used idiotically. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/17 "2011-01-21T00:11:26Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > “Confederacy” to refer to the modern southern US. 😕 You made that one up, right? I live in Florida and I’ve never heard anyone say, “Here in the Confederacy . . .” ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/18 "2011-01-21T00:16:05Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > 😕 You made that one up, right? I live in Florida and I’ve never heard anyone say, “Here in the Confederacy . . .” More like, “Down there in the Confederacy…” ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/19 "2011-01-21T00:18:30Z")
It doesn’t come up much anymore now, but a couple of years ago, any use of the name “Shrub” got me all rolly-eyed. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/20 "2011-01-21T00:24:15Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Agreed. Or “pro-life.” The non-idiotic phrase would be “anti-abortion.” Everyone who is not omnicidal is “pro-life.” > > NARAL, OTOH, is properly “pro-choice,” not “pro-abortion” – that is, does not regard abortion as a duty or an end-in-itself. But to the other side, **stopping** abortion is an end-in-itself, therefore, “anti-abortion.” There are many who are pro-choice who are anti-abortion. So just go with pro-life and pro-choice, since those are what each group uses for themselves. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381.md?page=2)