# RESOLVED: Using the term "democrat party" should be a bannable offense **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 9, 2020, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174 "2020-09-09T14:50:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/182 "2020-09-21T16:26:56Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Same here. BTW, has there been _anybody_ in this thread that opposed the slur “democrat party” but thought that slurs against Republicans were alright? If not, let’s put that argument to rest. For what it’s worth, I flagged this post in P&E > [@Trump's Supreme Court nominee?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-supreme-court-nominee/921092/8): > > Or it might be the one judge that Trump knows the most about and admires the most, Judge Judy. Either her or Paris Hilton. The Orange Peril has a lot of options that meet his standards. And got this reply > [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > IMHO that is a fair comment. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/183 "2020-09-21T16:31:15Z")
> [@Trump's Supreme Court nominee?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-supreme-court-nominee/921092/8): > > For what it’s worth, I flagged this post in P&E > > > [@Trump's Supreme Court nominee?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-supreme-court-nominee/921092/8): > > > > Or it might be the one judge that Trump knows the most about and admires the most, Judge Judy. Either her or Paris Hilton. The Orange Peril has a lot of options that meet his standards. > > And got this reply I was not suggesting we couldn’t call people like Trump (or Biden) silly and/or insulting names. That’s not trolling, just venting. I see no problem whatsoever calling Trump, Biden, or any other public figure an asshole or buffoon, or traitor. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/184 "2020-09-21T16:47:14Z")
> [@Trump's Supreme Court nominee?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-supreme-court-nominee/921092/8): > > > [@Czarcasm](#): > > > > Same here. BTW, has there been _anybody_ in this thread that opposed the slur “democrat party” but thought that slurs against Republicans were alright? If not, let’s put that argument to rest. > > For what it’s worth, I flagged this post in P&E > > > [@Trump's Supreme Court nominee?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-supreme-court-nominee/921092/8): > > > > Or it might be the one judge that Trump knows the most about and admires the most, Judge Judy. Either her or Paris Hilton. The Orange Peril has a lot of options that meet his standards. > > And got this reply > > > [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > > > IMHO that is a fair comment. From what I can see, you flagged a post for no discernible reason and got told that there was no problem with it. There’s nothing about this unsurprising fact that has any relevance to the OP or to this thread. Trump has been called more different insulting names on this board and many others, both inside and outside the Pit, than perhaps any other single individual. Hell, he’s been called worse things by his own former senior staff – “a fucking moron” (Sec of State Rex Tillerson); “…has the intellect of a fifth- or sixth-grader” (Sec of Defense James Mattis). What the OP is talking about is a systematic attempt to modify legitimate language for the sole purpose of being gratuitously offensive, with the intent of promoting its widespread use. If you can’t see this very basic difference I don’t think I can help you any further. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/185 "2020-09-21T16:52:47Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > From what I can see, you flagged a post for no discernible reason and got told that there was no problem with it. Thank you for your interest… I flagged it based on the discussion in this thread as a sort of test case to see if calling the President by an insulting name outside of the pit was still acceptable to the mods. I did get the answer that I thought I would. Doesn’t make it right, just non actionable. IMHO any who uses insulting sobriquets in debate deserves zero credence. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/186 "2020-09-21T16:56:04Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > I did get the answer that I thought I would. Doesn’t make it right, just non actionable. As you are probably aware,the use of the term “democrat party” is also _not actionable_ here. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/187 "2020-09-21T17:22:23Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > IMHO any who uses insulting sobriquets in debate deserves zero credence. If it’s your writing and debating style to use only the correct formal names for public figures, even if you intensely dislike them, then more power to you. No one will object. But there has also never been a problem on this board with using creative insulting names for public figures, as long as it’s not hate speech such as blatant racism. You’re still missing the point, though. And your quoted statement is absolutely wrong, because some of the most brilliant insults I’ve seen have been from posters with some of the most informed insights and hence high credibility. The points you’re missing are encapsulated in the words “gratuitous” and “systematic”. To take the example of Trump, and my insulting term that you considered some kind of test case: some time ago there was a poster who insisted on always referring to Trump by what was presumed to be the original family name before it was changed, “Drumpf”. It was gratuitious and repetitive. It was also pointless and eventually annoying, and although there were no warnings AFAIK, there was eventually a pinned mod note to cut it out, because it was stupid. This is the more appropriate analogy to “democrat” as an adjective, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/188 "2020-09-21T17:44:46Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > But there has also never been a problem on this board with using creative insulting names for public figures, as long as it’s not hate speech such as blatant racism. The old “everybody does it” defense, well played. We also used to tolerate mild misogyny, homophobia and calling people “retards”. Things change. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/189 "2020-09-23T05:06:23Z")
No, it isn’t. No more than “house cat” is grammatically insulting. Or insulting in any way to houses. Or cats. At least, none of them have objected. I presume they simply do not deign to acknowledge it. Does that make them smarter than Democratics? ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/190 "2020-09-23T17:57:44Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > No, it isn’t. No more than “house cat” is grammatically insulting. She was referring to cases where a noun is used in place of an adjective. Obviously that wouldn’t apply to cases where the noun and the adjective are the same. But I’m guessing you knew that, given your joking reference to “Democratics.” ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/191 "2020-09-28T19:31:11Z")
"Look, I had a lovely dinner, and all I said to my wife was, “That piece of halibut was good enough for the Democrat party…” “HE SAID IT AGAIN!” ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/192 "2020-10-03T11:46:11Z")
Excellent reference, given your user name! ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/193 "2020-10-03T21:07:14Z")
Heh. It took me a second to get it. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/194 "2020-10-15T15:32:25Z")
On another thread, I’m watching somebody gleefully using the term “leftist.” Is it reasonable to suggest that we ought not to refer to others, here, in terms that the others wouldn’t use in referring to themselves ? Should “fascist” be the conservative equivalent of “leftist,” then ? I seek the Wisdom of Crowds 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/195 "2020-10-15T15:35:29Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > Should “fascist” be the conservative equivalent of “leftist,” then ? To my ears, “leftist” isn’t anywhere near as pejorative as "fascist.’ ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/196 "2020-10-15T15:41:11Z")
“Leftist” is the equivalent of “right-wing” and neither is IMO pejorative. The equivalent of “fascist” would be more like “Leninist”. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/197 "2020-10-15T15:52:58Z")
This is the larger point, though, and – IME – it happens to apply to “Democrat Party” _as well as_ to “leftist --” neither of which I’ve heard used by a liberal/progressive/Democrat in reference to themselves. > [@DavidNRockies](#): > > Is it reasonable to suggest that we ought not to refer to others, here, in terms that the others wouldn’t use in referring to themselves ? And while degrees of insult, pejorative, or inappropriateness matter … aren’t we (as the old joke said) just haggling over price ? ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/198 "2020-10-15T15:53:40Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > “Leftist” is the equivalent of “right-wing” and neither is IMO pejorative. Er … wouldn’t “left wing” be the equivalent of “right wing ?” ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/199 "2020-10-15T17:50:12Z")
Probably; except that I don’t remember noticing people using “rightist”. So I’m not sure that “leftist” has an exact equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/200 "2020-10-15T21:07:37Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > You can’t ban “democrat party” and allow Trumpanzee, Rethuglicans, etc. For once I have to agree with Velocity. Someone called me out for using the term Repugnant Party. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174/201 "2020-10-15T21:18:42Z")
That’s because “leftist” isn’t the opposite to “right-wing”. What’s wrong with “left-wing” or “progressive” or “liberal”? To my ears, “leftist” means Castro or the Sandanistas (or, whoever they fought against, I never figured out which was which). Left-wing/right-wing, liberal/conservative. Pretty easy to avoid “leftist”, which is yet another right-wing snarl word. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-using-the-term-democrat-party-should-be-a-bannable-offense/920174.md?page=11)