Assaults on the England language

[marty.lederman at comcast.net]

Actually, I don't think giving or taking offense has much to do with it (although offense certainly is taken).  Indeed, Republic Party folks aren't even addressing their Democratic counterparts when they use the adjective:  They're addressing the public, and they couldn't care less how we Democrats respond to the term.

As I understand it, "Democrat" is used as an adjective for two related reasons:  First, McCarthy and his modern-day counterparts wish to deny Democrats the *positive* connotations that are associated with the word "democratic."  Second, apparently numerous surveys have shown that audiences hear the word "Democrat" as much less mellifulous, and harsher, than "democratic."  Something about connotations with words such as "bureaucrat" and "technocrat."  Audiences cringe when they hear the ending hard "t" much more than when the word ends in "tic."  Or so I've been told.  


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From: "Douglas Laycock" <DLaycock at law.utexas.edu>
Subject: RE: Assaults on the England language
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