# I pit the GOP for considering the inarticulate Kevin McCarthy for Speaker **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 3, 2015, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354 "2015-10-03T11:15:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/41 "2015-10-06T19:41:19Z")
Your Daily Trivia: The word for a group of baboons is a _congress_. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/42 "2015-10-06T20:41:50Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > I’ve always said Eye-ran and Eye-rack, going back to the seventies. That’s also how I a always heard it. I was highly amused when I heard people in the media saying Ee-rahn and Ee-rock many years later. Yeah, this is ridiculous. Eye-rack and Eye-ran, along with Chilly and Mexico are totally valid pronunciations of those countries when speaking English. Ee-rock, Ee-rahn, Chee-lay, and May-hee-co cannot be said without sounding pretentious. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/43 "2015-10-06T20:58:49Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > Yeah, this is ridiculous. Eye-rack and Eye-ran, along with Chilly and Mexico are totally valid pronunciations of those countries when speaking English. Ee-rock, Ee-rahn, Chee-lay, and May-hee-co cannot be said without sounding pretentious. I dunnoi. “Ee-rock” and “ee-rahn” have passed into the mainstream, at least for me. The others, though, still sound slightly high-falutin’ to my ears (not so much the Chile pronunciation, but moreso the Mexico one.) ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/44 "2015-10-06T21:27:09Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > What does it matter how articulable he is? Isn’t it more important how loyalized he is to America? What does it matter how loyalized he is to America? Does he republicanate good? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/45 "2015-10-06T21:38:56Z")
Those two are the same thing said as two different things, but they’re not. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/46 "2015-10-06T23:08:51Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > More recently, Eye-Rack and Eye-Ran. And, worst of all, Ee-gypped. _Nothing_ like how it’s pronounced. “Recruiterments” aside, the admission that “Benghazi is all about getting Clinton” is the important thing to watch, here, and I’m sure it will come up again and again assuming Clinton beats Sanders and gets the honor of burning the last Bush. They chose that Hillgazhi, now they can die on it… ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/47 "2015-10-07T04:27:24Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > And, worst of all, Ee-gypped. _Nothing_ like how it’s pronounced. . . . ??? How should it be pronounced? (And if you say “Bolivia,” it’s a cream pie inna smacka!) ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/48 "2015-10-07T04:39:02Z")
I pit anyone who thinks that a President’s primary job is public speaking. Or even a Speaker’s primary job. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/49 "2015-10-07T10:53:11Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > ??? How should it be pronounced? > > (And if you say “Bolivia,” it’s a cream pie inna smacka!) /misˤɾ/ or possibly /masˤɾ/. [Link](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1) If we’re getting all high and mighty about “correct pronunciation”, well, there’s only one source of authority for _that_, isn’t there? ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/50 "2015-10-07T11:13:53Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > At some points in those clips, I thought the poor guy was stroking out. > > I feel for the guy because I have word salad issues myself, and it is embarrassing to hear yourself speaking incoherently. Which is why I would never run for public office–let alone Speaker of the House. > > What I don’t get is why he sounds that terrible when he’s clearly reading from notes. That means not even a teleprompter can help him. Yes, embarrassed is the key. I remember W looking embarrassed as he realized he’d said something stupid. I didn’t see that here. That’s whats scary. He looked so confident in what he was saying. I do think they should rename the position if he wins because “Speaker” of the House would be too ironic. Head Chicken Herder would be more appropriate anyway. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/51 "2015-10-07T11:14:50Z")
Oh, don’t get started on that – we had a thread about names different from the originals back in 2002 ( [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-109434.html](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-109434.html) ) ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/52 "2015-10-07T15:36:36Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I pit anyone who thinks that a President’s primary job is public speaking. Or even a Speaker’s primary job. If the guy can’t organize his thoughts on the paper he was reading from, how can anyone know if he ever has a cogent thought? Clearing thinking is most definitely part of the job. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/53 "2015-10-07T15:43:03Z")
Bush 41 wasn’t a clear thinker? ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/54 "2015-10-07T16:20:47Z")
It sounded like he had not rehearsed his speech, and was getting all mealy-mouthed. Public speaking 101 - rehearse your damned speech. I highly doubt his notes that he kept looking at contained the word salad. At least, I hope not. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/55 "2015-10-07T16:27:31Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Bush 41 wasn’t a clear thinker? [You couldn’t tell from his speaking.](http://wonkette.com/553275/just-a-reminder-that-george-h-w-bush-tossed-word-salad-before-word-salad-was-cool) > [@](#): > > “You cannot be president of the United States if you don’t have faith. Remember Lincoln, going to his knees in times of trial and the Civil War and all that stuff. You can’t be. And we are blessed. So don’t feel sorry for — don’t cry for me, Argentina. Message: I care.” ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/56 "2015-10-07T16:29:11Z")
“Ma? Ma? Did you put methedrine in the chicken feed again?..” ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/57 "2015-10-07T16:34:03Z")
> [@](#): > > …don’t cry for me, Argentina… Sweet bleeding Og, he is channeling Eva Peron? ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/58 "2015-10-07T19:08:12Z")
The Twitter feed [@KevinMcCarthy](https://twitter.com/kevinmccarthy) is owned by some other dude named Kevin McCarthy. He’s appreciate it if you’d stop tweeting him about how much you hate Republican Kevin McCarthy, who is gross. Also - he thinks you should vote for Hillary. > **[Kevin McCarthy Says Stop Tweeting At Him About Benghazi](https://www.wired.com/2015/10/kevin-mccarthy-clinton-ad/)** > > Oh, and he wants you to vote for Hillary. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/59 "2015-10-07T19:56:55Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > /misˤɾ/ or possibly /masˤɾ/. [Link](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1) Are those words even related? Or is this a Germany vs. Deutschland vs. Alemania kind of thing? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354/60 "2015-10-07T20:33:15Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > /misˤɾ/ or possibly /masˤɾ/. [Link](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1) > [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > Are those words even related? Or is this a Germany vs. Deutschland vs. Alemania kind of thing? It’s gotta be. Like, “Livorno” is not pronounced “Leghorn.” Okay, right. But Egypt is pronounced “Eeh-gypped” and not “Misr.” Some other word is pronounced Misr. > [@](#): > > If we’re getting all high and mighty about “correct pronunciation”, well, there’s only one source of authority for _that_, isn’t there? No…many sources of authority, sometimes in conflict. It largely comes down to what people actually say – “descriptivism” – but with an element of authoritative scholarship – “prescriptivism” – muddying the waters. Here in San Diego, we have “Garnet Street.” The locals insist on accenting the second syllable. “gar-NET.” They’re wrong. Even worse are the people who have taken to pronouncing “Cabrillo” as “Cab-rill-oh.” (Should be “Cab-reeh-oh.”) But when enough people do it wrong, the wrong becomes the new right. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-gop-for-considering-the-inarticulate-kevin-mccarthy-for-speaker/733354.md?page=4)