My point is simply that Teabaggers have no agenda other than opposing everything Mr. Obama says or does. If Obama says he likes puppies, they’re going to start throwing puppies into wood chippers. If your reason for existence is to undermine someone else’s agenda without offering up one idea of your own, I’ll be as obnoxious as possible to you. When the Teabaggers start acting like adults, then I’ll be more courteous.
It’s been demonstrated in various cites that, at least for some users of the phrase, ‘Democrat party’ is meant as an epithet. I don’t take offense, but if you knowingly use an epithet (when there is a phrase that everyone recognizes as not an epithet) then in my opinion you’re being a jerk. Do you disagree?
If Republicans know the difference between “Democrat” and “Democratic” then why do they continue to use the incorrect term?
If I’m introduced to you and you say “Hi, my name’s Tom!” and I then insist on calling you “Tommy” even after you’ve corrected me several times, wouldn’t you agree that I’m being rude? And you’d be perfectly within your rights to call me out on it: “Dude, what’s the deal with this ‘Tommy’ shit? My name is ‘Tom’.”
Saying “What’s wrong with ‘Tommy’? It’s a perfectly good name! It’s not like I’m calling you ‘Douchebag’!” would not be a valid excuse. Neither is “Stop being so petty! ‘Tom’, ‘Tommy’, what does it matter?” The proper response is “Oh, sorry, that was rude of me!”
“Can I call you Joe?” 
Southern Democrats were the first to use the term Grand Old Party, so likely had derogatory overtones. That’s how it works, see also Tories, Wigs, Prime Minister etc.
Democrat just really doesn’t have a biting ring to it so it’ll die out like ‘honkey’.
Where do you get that? Not Wiki:
Though, I’ll concede it’s not a rock solid source.
Yes, I disagree. It’s like complaining at being called a liberal because someone used the term as an insult.
[QUOTE=The Hamster King]
If Republicans know the difference between “Democrat” and “Democratic” then why do they continue to use the incorrect term?
[/QUOTE]
Because the difference is so petty. I already said that.
Like I said, if anyone wants to play this “How DARE you!” game where they sling insults over and expect tender-hearted consideration of their imaginary slights in return, go ahead. It just won’t get you very far.
Regards,
Shodan
If the difference is so petty, then why the resistance? Why such stubbornness? If what you are saying were true I would expect Republicans to say “Oh, yeah, Democratic Party. Duh. Sorry about that. Won’t happen again.” Instead we get convoluted arguments about how “Democrat Party” actually makes sense as a term. In other words, the Republicans who use the term certainly don’t ACT like they think its petty. They ACT like they think it’s an important point to defend. Why do Republicans make such a big deal out of calling the Democratic Party by the wrong name?
Huh? So using insults/epithets is never being a jerk? Or just if the word also has a different non-epithet meaning? The word ‘chink’ has a non-epithet meaning… does that mean that it’s never being a jerk to call someone ‘chink’? The word ‘boy’ has a non-epithet meaning… does that mean that it’s never being a jerk to call someone ‘boy’?
Knowingly using epithets is being a jerk (IMO)… do you deny this, or do you deny that ‘Democrat’ is ever used as an epithet?
… wherein a poster sincerely holds to the maxim: “Two wrongs make a right.”
Do you deny that every use of the term “liberal” is insulting? After all, some conservatives have used it as an insult.
Regards,
Shodan
There are two separate questions here:
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Is behavior X jerkish behavior?
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If so, is it worth the trouble of those it’s directed at to make an issue of it?
Answers for X = calling the Democratic Party the “Democrat Party”:
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Yes. Not serious jerkitude (petty jerkitude really), but still jerkitude.
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No.
It may well be insulting to some. Some people may use it as an epithet. And using epithets is being a jerk, IMO. So if someone calls you a ‘liberal’, and they’re using it as an insult/epithet, then they’re being a jerk. Do you disagree?
What does “make an issue of it” mean? Does that mean challenging/educating those who do it? Mocking them?
It’s not a big deal – in fact, it’s a pretty little deal. But there’s lots of little deals that are worth challenging, and I think this is one of them.
The Democrats are the one making a big deal out of it, obviously.
Regards,
Shodan
**Shodan **- you’re being silly. If someone requests to be called a certain thing, it’s common courtesy to honor their request.
I expect that calls to cease the use of the terms “faux news” or “repug” or “shrub” would be similarly honored.
Well, no. If Republicans stopping being jerks and called the party by its correct name, the issue would just go away.
It’s like repeatedly kicking the seat of the person sitting in front of you in the plane, and then bitching that “they’re making a big deal out of nothing” when they turn around and tell you to cut it out. If you don’t want them turning around and telling you to cut it out, quit kicking the back of their seat.
At least people using those terms would (I think) agree they are meant to be offensive.
No one who says “shrub” would claim with a straight face that it was a perfectly polite and respectful alternative way to address the President.
Your claim was that it was an insult to use a term if that term had ever been meant as an insult. Do you stand by that?
No, I’m not the one.
You would be disappointed, as we have seen. Or perhaps I missed all the abortion threads in which one side was careful always to refer to the other as “pro-life”. After all, that’s just common courtesy. 
Regards,
Shodan