# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/121 "2011-01-24T16:47:28Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Congress-critters. Nothing idiotic about **that.** It’s a bit too cutesy but otherwise a perfectly suitable gender-neutral term that actually sounds a lot better than “Congresspersons.” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/122 "2011-01-24T16:58:39Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > “Zionist” as a pejorative. Who but Arabs/Muslims uses “Zionist” as a pejorative? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/123 "2011-01-24T17:08:42Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Who but Arabs/Muslims uses “Zionist” as a pejorative? Anti-semites? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/124 "2011-01-24T17:15:35Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Oh, and, [“Algore,”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=13174598#post13174598) of course. I never even got that one. Clearly intended to be pejorative, but… how? Yet another case where I’m missing something obvious? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/125 "2011-01-24T17:28:18Z")
Tighty rightys suffer from humor deficiency, irony poor blood. Dennis Miller, _Mallard Fillmore_, so on and so forth. They have learned to mimic the forms of humor, but its like a pun created by a word processor. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/126 "2011-01-24T18:48:59Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > I never even got that one. Clearly intended to be pejorative, but… how? Yet another case where I’m missing something obvious? Makes him sound like an Arab. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/127 "2011-01-24T18:52:20Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Who but Arabs/Muslims uses “Zionist” as a pejorative? Nobody, really. I was just covering all the bases. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/128 "2011-01-24T19:06:51Z")
Correct if wrong, but aren’t there several lines of Orthodox thought that regard “Zionism” as presumptuous, sort of like “second guessing” God? ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/129 "2011-01-24T19:33:52Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Who but Arabs/Muslims uses “Zionist” as a pejorative? Idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/130 "2011-01-24T19:41:16Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > I never even got that one. Clearly intended to be pejorative, but… how? Yet another case where I’m missing something obvious? (re: Algore) I believe it originally is supposed to sound like “Igor” as in the mad scientist’s assistant. With Bill Clinton as the mad scientist, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/131 "2011-01-24T20:17:35Z")
What? Nobody mentioned _Nazi_ for Republicans yet? Any old-school term used by a KCNA news release, like “running dog”. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Who but Arabs/Muslims uses “Zionist” as a pejorative? The left-leaning Radio Pacifica/Democracy Now! crowd. There’s a community radio station in town that broadcasts some Radio Pacifica shows. They HATE the idea of Israel with a burning passion. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/132 "2011-01-24T20:19:22Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > I never even got that one. Clearly intended to be pejorative, but… how? Yet another case where I’m missing something obvious? Rush Limbaugh came up with that about 15 years ago. It’s supposed to sound like the name of a monster: instead of “Algore”, think “ALGOR! ALGOR SMASH! ARGH!” ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/133 "2011-01-24T20:32:50Z")
May I posit the notion that if you have to explain your invective ad nauseum, it isn’t a very good one to begin with? ‘Algore’ is supposed to be an arab monster lab assistant or some shit? At least when someone calls Obama ‘Hussein’ I know what they’re babbling about. ---
**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/134 "2011-01-24T20:53:17Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > The nickname originated from GeeDubyas first doomed foray into the Texas awl bidness, he named it “Arbusto” which is Spanish for “shrub”. This requires one to believe that GeeDubya had, at some time, something like a sense of humor. As opposed to the Spanish word for “bush” …? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/135 "2011-01-24T21:26:47Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > What? Nobody mentioned _Nazi_ for Republicans yet? Godwinization was covered in the OP. > [@elmwood](#): > > Any old-school term used by a KCNA news release, like “running dog”. 😕 I haven’t seen that used since the Vietnam War ended – in fact, I never saw it used at all outside _Doonesbury_ – what is KCNA? > [@elmwood](#): > > The left-leaning Radio Pacifica/Democracy Now! crowd. There’s a community radio station in town that broadcasts some Radio Pacifica shows. They HATE the idea of Israel with a burning passion. As a frequent Democracy Now! listener I can tell you that is not at all true. It is true they are likely to sympathize with the Palestinians, but that is not at all the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/136 "2011-01-24T22:09:19Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > Rush Limbaugh came up with that about 15 years ago. It’s supposed to sound like the name of a monster: instead of “Algore”, think “ALGOR! ALGOR SMASH! ARGH!” I want to see the humor in that, but try as I might to insert myself into the mind of a Rush Limbaugh listener, the constriction is simply too much to bear. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/137 "2011-01-24T22:30:00Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Oh, and, [“Algore,”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=13174598#post13174598) of course. I guess I’m not the only one who doesn’t read my own threads… psst, see #44. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/138 "2011-01-24T23:15:22Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > 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? You should’ve said, “If you don’t want to come across as a prole, avoid the following terminology:” Just trying to help. 🙂 And AFAIK Bush thought _arbusto_ translated to ‘bush’; later it came out that it actually meant ‘shrub’. ---
**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/139 "2011-01-25T14:07:44Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > And AFAIK Bush thought _arbusto_ translated to ‘bush’; later it came out that it actually meant ‘shrub’. uhhh… > [@](#): > > \*\*arbusto \*\* > masculine noun > > 1. bush, shrub ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/140 "2011-01-25T14:44:02Z")
Oh, and, of course, “death tax.” [Previous 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=6) [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=8)