What is a Massachusetts Liberal?

Great Debates
1

A common insult that is thrown at Presidential hopeful, John Kerry, is that he is a “Massachusetts Liberal”. Can someone please give me a thorough definition of “Massachusetts Liberal? I doubt that it is simply as obvious as “a liberal from Massachusetts”, because then we would see the state of residence appended to other politicians’ social/political descriptors. Is a “Massachusetts Liberal” just a “very liberal Liberal”? Or are there specific positions that Massachusetts liberals take that are unique to liberals in Massachusetts and not generally shared by liberals in other states?

Thanks!!!

2

Remember when we used to have Stars of the Silver Screen? Then everyone became a “star” and we had to have “superstars”. It’s kind of like that. Since Liberal is often a smear name applied to all Dems, the term MA Liberal implies the person is more liberal than most Dems, possibly due to the influence of those notoriously liberal universities in New England. And it plays well in the South (for the Pubs).

Of course, Ted Kennedy doesnt help dispell the stereotype…:slight_smile:

3

Yep, you both are pretty much right on the money.

“Liberal” is to “Massachusetts Liberal” as “Asshole” is to “Fucking Asshole”. To many people anyway.

4

Isn’t it New England Liberal?

5

Only when the politician being so smeared is from New England, but not MA (see Dean).

The MA Liberal slur probably dates from the Kennedy era. Teddy’s still a big ole liberal, and still in office (mostly because the GOP has stopped trying to replace him, his last few opponents were jokes, which is saying alot when you’re running against Ted Kennedy). I wonder, do we also have MA Moderates as well? (Such as the string of Republican governors).

Menocchio <-- Massachusetts Liberal and Proud of It.

6

And it’s definitely a regional thing. Works well in the South and some parts of the Midwest and West, but you’ll rarely, if ever, hear the term used in:

Berkeley, CA (unless it’s to denote that the guy isn’t liberal enough:))
SF, CA (same as above)
Ann Arbor, MI
NY, NY

7

Was the term being used much before Bush the Elder applied it to Michael Dukakis, or or was GHWB the one who invented/popularized it?

8

I think the phrase is generally used by southerners, which roughly translated means “if you want our vote you better talk with a drawl and pronounce all four E’s in the word ‘shit’”.

9

OK, I’ll try not to be technical but here’s the scoop BobLibDem, here in the South “shit” is pronounced with four E’s only when something out there catches your attention — that would usually a car motor with eight or more cylinders ------------. Now when a southern boy is truly amazed there are ‘a heck more’ than a mere 4 E’s – as shown in the Southern word “sheeeeeeeeit!!” which is usually associated with the sighting of giant boobs –

10

Thanks, Tigers. And by the way,I failed to credit Bill Maher for that line which I paraphrased.