Leaving the “ic” off references to the Democratic Party. Seems like a simple thing, but he builds a good case that this is just one more case of the mean-spirited dissing that has now come to permeate all levels of discourse, not just the bar room brawls of yore.
In talking about Bush fils, as he calls him, Hertzberg says
What he meant is anybodys guess, but his bad manners were impossible to miss. Hard as it is to believe from this distance in time, George W. Bush came to office promising to change the tone. That he has certainly done. But, as with so much else, it hasnt worked out quite the way he promised.
Read the entire column, it’s very instructive.
Please share widely!
This is an interesting phenomenon. I noted it back in the early days of BMG. Did you know that this has been going on since the days of FDR?
Before my time.
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Yes, Hertzberg notes that, and mentions that the formation was a favorite ploy of Senator Joseph McCarthy (who was upbraided by none other than Wm. F. Buckley, Jr.).
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What is new is that this disrespectful language is now used regularly by the Warp Resident, as had not been done by his predecessors.