# Liberals, Progressives, or Democrats, can we get over 'The Democrat Party?' **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 24, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186 "2014-05-24T16:00:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/241 "2014-05-27T21:08:52Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Is that why Democrats refer to “shrub” or “teabaggers” or “repugs” or “faux news”? Because they’re kind of jerks? Why yes, when Democrats use explicitly insulting nicknames for Republican individuals or organizations, they are being kind of jerks. Another way to be kind of a jerk is to deliberately use an incorrect version of the name of an individual or organization. (Hey everybody, I think **Terr** is getting close to actually understanding this issue! We will probably only need another couple of dozen repetitions or so before he gets the point! 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/242 "2014-05-27T21:19:22Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > It’s especially neat to see Terr trying oh-so hard to come up with some way to justify acting like a jerk rather than just own up to being a jerk. What is it, irritate the mod day and I didn’t get the memo? Or are you guys hiding something from me? Don’t slam other posters, regardless. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/243 "2014-05-27T21:24:51Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > Yup, those are totally jerkish things to do. That’s why some of us refrain from doing them. > > But you don’t see anyone pretending that saying such things is an honest mistake. Or that logically it makes more sense to call Fox News “faux news”. That would be stupid. > > Come on, just own it. You say “Democrat Party” to needle people. You know you do. Well no, not really. I just hate associating such a noble concept as “democratic” with such a tawdry collection of people. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/244 "2014-05-27T21:29:55Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > What is it, irritate the mod day and I didn’t get the memo? Or are you guys hiding something from me? > > Don’t slam other posters, regardless. I didn’t slam the poster. If you read the sentence, you will see that it reads very properly as an abstract about other posters. IOW: Saying “you’re looking for an excuse to be a jerk” is not calling someone a jerk. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/245 "2014-05-27T21:32:13Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > I didn’t slam the poster. If you read the sentence, you will see that it reads very properly as an abstract about other posters. IOW: Saying “you’re looking for an excuse to be a jerk” is not calling someone a jerk. You explicitly used the poster’s name in that sentence and referred to what he was doing… You never once used the word “you” or “you’re”. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/246 "2014-05-27T21:38:40Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Well no, not really. I just hate associating such a noble concept as “democratic” with such a tawdry collection of people. Ah, so it is a political statement! [You’re using the term exactly as described in the Wikipedia page “Democrat Party (epithet)”.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democrat_Party_%28epithet%29) Which is what some of us have been saying for pages. It’s often used as a deliberate dig by Republicans to imply that Democrats are not “democratic”. I, of course, think that the Democratic Party, with all it’s big-tent chaos, is far more democratic than the Republican Party with its demographic narrowness and tightly-controlled speech codes. So I object quite strongly to your characterization! See how much simpler things are when you just say it right out instead of forcing us to dig your opinion out of you. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/247 "2014-05-27T21:40:51Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > Which is what some of us have been saying for pages. It’s often used as a deliberate dig by Republicans to imply that Democrats are not “democratic”. You can view it as a dig. I don’t see it as a dig. I am not using it to get your reaction. I just hate (I repeat) associating such a noble concept as “democratic” with such a tawdry collection of people. And since I am not a Republican, I don’t really care about your comparison of Democrat Party to Republican Party. Yes, neither should have “democratic” applied to them. It tarnishes the word. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/248 "2014-05-27T21:42:46Z")
**Phase I: Feigned Innocence** > [@Terr in post #52](#): > > A member of your party is a Democrat. Thus Democrat party. A noun used as an adjective, and grammatically correct. **Phase II: “You’re All Just Being Oversensitive!”** > [@Terr in post #155](#): > > Maybe someone finds “Bone” offensive. […] I think you have to change your nick immediately. > [@Terr in post #227](#): > > Then how can something be “offensive” if no one is taking offense? > [@Terr in post #232](#): > > If you already know we despise you, and that we call your party “Democrat Party” because of that, then just take “Democrat Party” in the (perceived by you) spirit it is offered. Especially since you’re not offended by it. **Phase III: “Well, You Guys Do It Too!”** > [@Terr in post #236](#): > > Cuz no one on this board is a dick. Ever. Right? > [@Terr in post #238](#): > > Is that why Democrats refer to “shrub” or “teabaggers” or “repugs” or “faux news”? Because they’re kind of jerks? **Phase IV: Finally Dropping the Mask** > [@Terr in post #243](#): > > I just hate associating such a noble concept as “democratic” with such a tawdry collection of people. In other words, you **are** deliberately using the incorrect term “Democrat Party” in order to convey that you despise Democrats. Yeah, that’s what we thought. And it only took five pages for you to actually come out and admit it. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/249 "2014-05-27T21:45:36Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > **Phase I: Feigned Innocence** There is no “feigned innocence”. It is, in fact, grammatically correct. If you think you can quote one of my posts where I claimed I called it a “Democrat Party” by mistake, you’re welcome to try. > [@](#): > > In other words, you **are** deliberately using the incorrect term “Democrat Party” in order to convey that you despise Democrats. Nope. Not conveying “despise”. Just using precise language to express what I think. Which is that “democratic” is tarnished if applied to Democrat party. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/250 "2014-05-27T21:48:20Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > You explicitly used the poster’s name in that sentence and referred to what he was doing… You never once used the word “you” or “you’re”. Yes. Terr is trying to justify posters being a dick. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/251 "2014-05-27T21:48:22Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > You can view it as a dig. I don’t see it as a dig. I am not using it to get your reaction. I just hate (I repeat) associating such a noble concept as “democratic” with such a tawdry collection of people. So you have personal issues with the name of the Democratic Party. It grates on you to hear people say it. So you have a made-up name you use instead. Why didn’t you just say that before? We all have our quirks. For example, I like to pretend that the Star Wars prequels don’t exist. Should we start posting trigger warnings for you? Look out, **Terr**! I’m going to say “Democratic Party” in this thread! Now that we know that you’re particularly sensitive about this, we can take your issues into account. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/252 "2014-05-27T21:48:47Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > You can view it as a dig. I don’t see it as a dig. I am not using it to get your reaction. I just hate (I repeat) associating such a noble concept as “democratic” with such a tawdry collection of people. And since I am not a Republican, I don’t really care about your comparison of Democrat Party to Republican Party. Yes, neither should have “democratic” applied to them. It tarnishes the word. Man, I served with a lot of those ‘tawdry’ people, and they were decent, patriotic Americans. What a shame you have such a low opinion of them, and of me. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/253 "2014-05-27T21:49:59Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > So you have personal issues with the name of the Democratic Party. It grates on you to hear people say it. Not really. You can say whatever you want. It grates on me for me to say it. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/254 "2014-05-27T21:57:21Z")
I used to think like you, **Terr** , before serving in the Navy. I thought Republicans and conservatives were just bad, selfish people. But a lot of the guys I served with were Republicans (and many were Democrats), and as far as honor and courage went, there was no difference between the two groups. As far as the individuals I’ve met in my life, neither group is more or less moral, brave, honest, or honorable. You served too, IIRC. I’m surprised you didn’t learn the same lesson about Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/255 "2014-05-27T21:58:05Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Not really. You can say whatever you want. It grates on me for me to say it. Courteous people, on the other hand, don’t consider that whatever discomfort they may feel in using the correct name of an individual or organization entitles them to use an incorrect version of the name instead. Sure, you can be discourteous about misrepresenting the name of the Democratic Party if you choose: there’s plenty of discourtesy to go around in political discourse, after all. But you don’t get to pretend that it’s not discourteous to misuse somebody else’s name just because the correct version of the name makes your poor little self uncomfy for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/256 "2014-05-27T21:58:50Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > I didn’t slam the poster. If you read the sentence, you will see that it reads very properly as an abstract about other posters. IOW: Saying “you’re looking for an excuse to be a jerk” is not calling someone a jerk. Nonsense. And you know better. That sort of an attempt at rules lawyering is best left to my kids and not posters on the SDMB. One more word on it and you’ll earn a warning. I have little patience with that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/257 "2014-05-27T22:00:34Z")
In fact, that goes for everyone. Any more personal comments from anyone and the warnings will fly. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/258 "2014-05-27T22:12:02Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > In fact, that goes for everyone. Any more personal comments from anyone and the warnings will fly. Please Sir, might there be a ruling on the use of the terms “democrat party” and “teabaggers”? Will floggings be administered if they are used in Straight Dope threads? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/259 "2014-05-27T22:12:07Z")
Thank you, **Jonathon**. I just wanted to point out that what was supposedly my personal peccadillo seems to have developed a life of its own, since the thread is about twice as long as it was when I left it 19 hours ago. Also, as a longtime liberal, it is a part of my creed that, if somebody doesn’t agree with me, I haven’t repeated myself enough. Therefore, let’s take it from the top. **Liberals, Progressives, or Democrats, can we get over 'The Democrat Party?'** It’s not offensive. Really. Even if Ann Coulter spits it out like Rush Limbaugh’s jism . . . 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186/260 "2014-05-27T22:24:58Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I used to think like you, **Terr** , before serving in the Navy. I thought Republicans and conservatives were just bad, selfish people. But a lot of the guys I served with were Republicans (and many were Democrats), and as far as honor and courage went, there was no difference between the two groups. As far as the individuals I’ve met in my life, neither group is more or less moral, brave, honest, or honorable. > > You served too, IIRC. I’m surprised you didn’t learn the same lesson about Democrats. I don’t mind rank-and-file Democrats. They are misled into voting for scoundrels, but then so are rank-and-file Republicans. But on this board we mostly have people who are political junkies, and are ideologues enough that they know just how horrible people they are voting for are, but vote for them anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-progressives-or-democrats-can-we-get-over-the-democrat-party/689186.md?page=14)