# Observation : Political Equivocators **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 20, 2012, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observation-political-equivocators/632054 "2012-08-20T14:23:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observation-political-equivocators/632054/41 "2012-08-21T22:39:45Z")
\<_ **tweeeeeeettttt!!!** _\> [Equivocate](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/equivocate?s=t) You (the general “you”) keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means! **BobLibDem** provides the correct term, “false equivalence”, in [Post #34](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15407949&postcount=34). I suppose we could call folks who indulge in drawing false equivalences “equivalencers” but we can’t, with any accuracy, call them “equivocators” unless they’re being deliberately ambiguous in their word usage while they do it. This has been a public service announcement. Please enjoy the rest of your show. ---
**Author:** ![AlienVessels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba8739/32.png) [@AlienVessels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlienVessels)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observation-political-equivocators/632054/42 "2012-08-21T23:22:54Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Like Romney served the rich in Massachusetts? He was pretending to be a liberal then. He’s pretending to be a conservative now. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observation-political-equivocators/632054/43 "2012-08-21T23:50:13Z")
Boblibdem got it right: > [@](#): > > Anyone who says “both parties are equally bad” isn’t paying attention. or is just poorly informed. > [@](#): > > Only one party has ever held a meeting on Inauguration Day in which they pledged not to give the incoming president any support on any issue. the pledge and the way they have carried it out is treason, IMO. at the very least, they hate the President more than they “love” the country. > [@](#): > > Don’t even get me started on the false equivalence between MSNBC and Fox. Fox only pretends to be news. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observation-political-equivocators/632054/44 "2012-08-22T01:34:42Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > Ah. Projection. This is hysterical, considering the post directly before yours: > [@rogerbox](#): > > It is overwhelmingly righties who say both parties are equally bad. They have to, because they are so overwhelmingly, obviously evil and against the majority of things that are good… > > Since these things are FACT… Yeah, that’s not partisan hackery at all. Democrats don’t fail to recognize their own failings, like support for killing babies. It’s just me “projecting.” :rolleyes: > [@BobLibDem](#): > > - Only one party has ever held the national debt limit as a hostage in negotiating with the other party. Sure, there have been Democrats who have cast symbolic votes against raising the limits and sure there have been poison pills put into a debt limit raise before, but only one party deliberately puts the national debt rating at ristk. Which is a good thing because it forced evil Democrats to take cuts to the budget. Without that “hostage” situation, there never would have been cuts. So as you can clearly see, Republicans are the good guys and Democrats aren’t. Right? > [@BobLibDem](#): > > I mean Mitt and Ann Romney over an ad which was not authorized by the Obama campaign in any way in which they claim to be accused of murder. Compare that to Mitt Romney repeatedly telling lies about Obama with respect to welfare reform as part of his standard stump speech and using those same lies in his authorized ads. Because when Obama does it, it’s “not authorized,” which is totally cool. When Pubs do it, it’s “Swiftboating,” which isn’t. > [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > Err… No, that’s just not what’s happening. We’re not excusing “the good guys” because they agree with us. The issue is not “we’re setting up an issue where one side is alienated”; the issue is that one side is full of bigots. ANY issue can be culturally divisive. The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is fucking divisive. I don’t give a _damn_ that an issue is divisive, I care whether or not it’s moral. It is absolutely immoral to deny a basic human right to an entire group of people on no grounding other than bias and tradition. It is entirely moral to cover basic health care needs for every sexually active adult under health care laws. There is no double standard here. What is so fucking hard to understand about “ **We fucking disagree with you**!”? It is _not_ moral to cover basic health care [del]needs[/del] wants for sexually active adults. As I said, the only reason you think this is moral is because it’s your fucking side. If you disagreed with such a proposal, you’d see things my way, now wouldn’t you? Now how can you miss the fact that you’re simply saying “I’m right because I’m right. We’re not wrong because we’re good and you’re wrong because you’re bad. We’re not equally as bad because we’re good and you’re not.”??? But to be clear, it’s not like I expected anything different. It’s no surprise that Democrats, the Party of Prisoners, the party of theft and murder, can fail to see how evil they really are. It’s just annoying that they fail to realize it. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observation-political-equivocators/632054/45 "2012-08-22T02:27:51Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > …like support for killing babies… As targets for skeet shooting, sure. As bait, they have drawbacks. I mean, sometimes its _hard_ to set the hook in a cute little baby. They squirm a lot, for one thing… ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observation-political-equivocators/632054/46 "2012-08-22T12:54:27Z")
Oh, [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15110860&postcount=80)’s a useful comparison tallying votes by Democrats and Republicans in Congress. Because Republicans patiently remind us to focus on the issues. I forgot to write in the Nays, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observation-political-equivocators/632054/47 "2012-08-22T13:26:39Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > But to be clear, it’s not like I expected anything different. It’s no surprise that Democrats, the Party of Prisoners, the party of theft and murder, can fail to see how evil they really are. It’s just annoying that they fail to realize it. Cool story, bro. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observation-political-equivocators/632054/48 "2012-08-22T13:58:53Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > There’s actually a meme that builds on your opening meme: BSABSVR, or “Both sides are bad, so vote Republican.” It’s been around for a few years now, and I see examples of it, and people being called on it, on other message boards frequently. > > So there you go. Right or wrong, others have postulated this enough that it’s actually a meme, so you’re not alone in your thinking. Well, that’s reassuring .. in a sense. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observation-political-equivocators/632054/49 "2012-08-22T14:01:59Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > How do you know that? > > Time after time, year after year, decade after decade, Democratic politicians vote for and otherwise support the war on drugs, absurdly harsh prison sentences, and countless other bad things. The logical thing to conclude is that the Democratic politicians are, in their own minds, in favor of such things. There’s no evidence to suggest otherwise. Some Democratic voters no doubt believer that their political leaders are privately opposed to the war on drugs; it’s a classic case of denial and cognitive dissonance at work. And the Obama Administration’s efforts to ease anti-marijuana enforcement, how does that fit with your theory? ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observation-political-equivocators/632054/50 "2012-08-22T14:04:05Z")
> [@IceQube](#): > > I know one person who eqviocates. > > She isn’t Republican. > > Nor is she Democrat. > > Nor is she third-party. > > She’s just so fed up with the political process that she refuses to vote at all - voting for Obama, Romney, Paul, Johnson, or anybody, in her mind, is pointless - they’re all one of the same :dubious:. > > And although I’m not a Ron Paul supporter, I once tried to change her world view by telling her of Dr. No and his often intransigent voting record. She explained it away by saying that “they” always need someone to vote no to propositions so people can’t say that Congress is categorically corrupt :dubious:. > > But now that I think of it, that actually makes a little bit of sense. There are the select group who do it to alleviate themselves of the responsibility of voting, yes. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observation-political-equivocators/632054/51 "2012-08-22T14:05:30Z")
> [@xenophon41](#): > > \<_ **tweeeeeeettttt!!!** _\> > > [Equivocate](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/equivocate?s=t) > > You (the general “you”) keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means! > > **BobLibDem** provides the correct term, “false equivalence”, in [Post #34](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15407949&postcount=34). I suppose we could call folks who indulge in drawing false equivalences “equivalencers” but we can’t, with any accuracy, call them “equivocators” unless they’re being deliberately ambiguous in their word usage while they do it. > This has been a public service announcement. Please enjoy the rest of your show. Having read the linked [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com) entry, I stand by the usage. 🙂 It means exactly what I wanted to convey. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observation-political-equivocators/632054/52 "2012-08-22T15:58:09Z")
> [@JackieLikesVariety](#): > > Boblibdem got it right: > or is just poorly informed. Or is selling something. As illustrated by one of our more prolific colleagues in this thread. > [@](#): > > the pledge and the way they have carried it out is treason, IMO. at the very least, they hate the President more than they “love” the country. I want credit for coining the phrase “party before country Republicans”. I’m sure I came up with it first. > [@Ludovic](#): > > At least the raccoon can’t get pregnant. If it does, we’ll know that deep down it really wanted it, the dirty tramp. Let me express my gratitude for the case examples who have stepped up for demonstration purposes with a generosity of spirit well beyond expectations. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observation-political-equivocators/632054/53 "2012-08-22T20:55:11Z")
> [@L. G. Butts](#): > > …The reason I equivacate is that I mainly socialize with country club republicans and i am trying to fit in. > [@elucidator](#): > > For the love of Bleeding Og, why? They can pay for their own drinks? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observation-political-equivocators/632054/54 "2012-08-22T21:05:48Z")
There can be certain advantages to knowing rich people. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observation-political-equivocators/632054/55 "2012-08-23T10:10:12Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > I’m sure I came up with it first. While the Republicans were partying at the country club? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observation-political-equivocators/632054.md?page=2)