# Democrat Party vs Democratic Party?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [March 18, 2016, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397 "2016-03-18T15:30:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/1 "2016-03-18T15:30:36Z")
Why is it a put down for someone to call the Democratic Party the Democrat Party?
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/2 "2016-03-18T15:33:11Z")
Because that’s the best the GOP can manage?
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### Author:  [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/3 "2016-03-18T15:37:12Z")
Because apparently Ann Coulter or Rush Limbaugh said it once or twice so and since they are Hitler Satans it is now verboten verboten verboten.
I never knew of this holocaust until this thread.
> **[Liberals, Progressives, or Democrats, can we get over 'The Democrat Party?'](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=724278)**
>
> It’s not offensive. Really. Even if Ann Coulter spits it out like Rush Limbaugh’s jism, It’s just a word that some benighted souls use because they, like me, cannot see how it can be offensive, and a few use to get our goats because there is...
Truly a great and horrible tragedy and only Nazis use it.
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### Author:  [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/4 "2016-03-18T15:52:20Z")
**Drunky Smurf** ’s lame comment aside, it’s like this-
You know those guys who insist on calling the President “Barack \*\*HUSSEIN \*\*Obama”? I mean, sure, it’s his name, but you know the reason they constantly bring up his middle name isn’t to be accurate- it’s to be an asshole. Well, the guys who say “Democrat Party” tend to do it for the same reason. They know it’s not the right term, but they say it anyway just to be jerks. They \*want \*to get a rise out of us.
Honestly, it’s never bugged me. I just kind of roll my eyes whenever someone does it. It’s actually pretty convenient, though- when someone calls it the “Democrat Party”, I know they’re just jerks and not really worth my time.
Kinda like **Drunky Smurf**.
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/5 "2016-03-18T15:59:55Z")
> [@Lightnin](#):
>
> **Drunky Smurf** ’s lame comment aside, it’s like this-
>
> You know those guys who insist on calling the President “Barack \*\*HUSSEIN \*\*Obama”? I mean, sure, it’s his name, but you know the reason they constantly bring up his middle name isn’t to be accurate- it’s to be an asshole. Well, the guys who say “Democrat Party” tend to do it for the same reason. They know it’s not the right term, but they say it anyway just to be jerks. They \*want \*to get a rise out of us.
>
> Honestly, it’s never bugged me. I just kind of roll my eyes whenever someone does it. It’s actually pretty convenient, though- when someone calls it the “Democrat Party”, I know they’re just jerks and not really worth my time.
>
> Kinda like **Drunky Smurf**.
You sure you wanna say that when we’re not in the Pit?
But, yeah. It’s something done to provoke. Kinda like calling pro-lifers anti-abortion. It’s just rude not to call people by their chosen name, even if you think yours is more accurate.
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### Author:  [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/6 "2016-03-18T16:00:57Z")
Maybe [Ron Swanson](http://imgur.com/gallery/X4Cyn) can help illustrate the point better.
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### Author:  [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/7 "2016-03-18T16:52:53Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#):
>
> Why is it a put down for someone to call the Democratic Party the Democrat Party?
It’s only a put down in the sense that it’s an intentional mispronunciation. It’s stupid and almost meaningless, but there it is. It’s not a dogwhistle- everyone can hear it. It’s more like a work-whistle.
You know the guy at work who whistles. Everyone can hear him, and it’s his way of saying:
“Look at me, I’m an asshole.”
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### Author:  [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/8 "2016-03-18T16:57:33Z")
> [@Lightnin](#):
>
> **Drunky Smurf** ’s lame comment aside, it’s like this-
>
> \
>
> I know they’re just jerks and not really worth my time.
>
> Kinda like **Drunky Smurf**.
Not remotely appropriate for this forum. Knock it off.
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### Author:  [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/9 "2016-03-18T16:59:16Z")
Because that’s not the name of the party. Why is it an insult to call a Jewish girl “a Jew girl”?
That said, it’s one of those eye-rolling “Ok, I can safely ignore this guy” things than anything ire producing.
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### Author:  [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/10 "2016-03-18T17:09:06Z")
> [@Jophiel](#):
>
> Because that’s not the name of the party. Why is it an insult to call a Jewish girl “a Jew girl”?
>
> That said, it’s one of those eye-rolling “Ok, I can safely ignore this guy” things than anything ire producing.
And then there’s the guy here who insists on using the term “Democrat collective”, presumably because it sound more Communist that way.
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### Author:  [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/11 "2016-03-18T17:12:12Z")
> [@Asimovian](#):
>
> Not remotely appropriate for this forum. Knock it off.
Sorry about that. I read his response and just assumed it was in the Pit, didn’t notice it was in IMHO.
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### Author:  [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/12 "2016-03-18T17:21:26Z")
It’s used because it gets a reaction. Immature? Yep. But then, so is the whole “Drumpf” thing.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/13 "2016-03-18T17:28:08Z")
It’s a “meh” issue to me. I am a lifelong Democrat (see,\* Democrat\*, not “Member of the Democratic party”) and I occasionally use it. It’s no big deal to me of the GOP uses it as a insult- if that’s the best they can come up with, go for it!
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### Author:  [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/14 "2016-03-18T17:58:23Z")
The question is why anyone would have ever used it as an insult to begin with?
Best guess is that the initial purpose of the term was to distinguish between the **D** emocratic **P** arty and the **d** emocratic **p** arty. There’s no such confusion on the Republican side. But why it should have evolved into an insult is beyond me.
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/15 "2016-03-18T18:15:42Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#):
>
> There’s no such confusion on the Republican side.
The word “Republican” functions as both noun and adjective. Republicans are members of the Republican Party. It seems to me that it would be easy to make the honest mistake of saying that Democrats are members of the Democrat Party.
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/16 "2016-03-18T18:16:10Z")
The sting of name-calling is always in the calling, not so much in the name.
It’s an inane name used by folks who apparently think name-calling adds to the weight of their argument. Cf. Librul vs. Liberal. Color me unimpressed by their wit.
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### Author:  [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/17 "2016-03-18T18:24:25Z")
> [@DrDeth](#):
>
> It’s a “meh” issue to me. I am a lifelong Democrat (see,\* Democrat\*, not “Member of the Democratic party”) and I occasionally use it. It’s no big deal to me of the GOP uses it as a insult- if that’s the best they can come up with, go for it!
There’s a difference. Democrat is a noun, as in “He’s a Democrat. She’s a Democrat. Those are the Democrats over there.” Democratic is an adjective, as in “Democratic party. Democratic voters. Democratic primary.”
I suppose the word “democratic” (lowercase d) has too many positive connotations for some right-wingers to allow their political enemies to associate themselves with it.
Like, it’s not the Democratic Party-- that would mean those people can make some claim to a great thing like democracy. No, it’s the Democrat Party-- nothing to do with democracy there, people.
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### Author:  [@AuntPam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntPam)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/18 "2016-03-18T18:42:45Z")
I once had the experience of hearing Congressman John Boehner address a group of Wall Street executives. So I can personally assure you that his use of the term “Democrat Party” was delivered in a sneering tone. He meant it as an insult, and the context of his remarks merely confirmed that. Perhaps he assumed that everyone in the room would be a Republican.
I considered rising to my feet and saying “Sir? I’m surprised that after so many years in Congress, you don’t know the correct name of your loyal opposition, but I’m sure you’d like to get it right in the future: it’s the **Democratic** Party.”
Then I let it go. A few seconds of fun that wouldn’t have changed him.
I’ve said this a lot and I continue to say it: The moderates in each party have a great deal in common with each other. It’s fatally easy to demonize people who tell you they belong to the other party, without learning the nuances of their positions. I’m sorry that some of my conservative friends seem too ready to accept whatever their party leaders tell them, but I’m also deeply distressed when my liberal friends are quick to unfriend or condescend to their less-liberal acquaintances. Progress is achieved when people seek to co-operate with good will. If you must disagree–and sometimes you must–do so respectfully. You’re not going to convince anyone by belittling them.
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### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/19 "2016-03-18T18:56:59Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#):
>
> I suppose the word “democratic” (lowercase d) has too many positive connotations for some right-wingers to allow their political enemies to associate themselves with it.
>
> Like, it’s not the Democratic Party-- that would mean those people can make some claim to a great thing like democracy. No, it’s the Democrat Party-- nothing to do with democracy there, people.
This is it exactly.
It’s a juvenile form of sniping by petty nimrods.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-party-vs-democratic-party/749397/20 "2016-03-18T19:05:29Z")
> [@AuntPam](#):
>
> I once had the experience of hearing Congressman John Boehner address a group of Wall Street executives. So I can personally assure you that his use of the term “Democrat Party” was delivered in a sneering tone. He meant it as an insult, and the context of his remarks merely confirmed that.
Sure, but I bet he could have said “Democratic party” in just such a tone, too.
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