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Category Archives: politics
The L-Word
If you’ve read the blog much (or Literally, the Best Language Book Ever), you know that we favor direct, honest communication over indirect, insincere, trendy, or over-inflated communication, so I was thrilled when I heard President Obama use the rarely … Continue reading
Posted in language, politics
Tagged correct use of lie, health care reform, language, obama speech on health care, politcs, President Obama, writing
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Political Theater
Maybe I’ve been following the news too closely lately, but I am tired of hearing every event in Washington, D.C., being described as political theater. When President Obama tries to get a bill passed and republicans fight him, it’s called … Continue reading
Posted in language, politics, writing
Tagged language, political theater, politics, President Obama, trite words, Washington D.C., writing
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Symbols of Patriotism, Obama Address to Congress
With all due respect to EF Hutton, when President Obama speaks, people listen–well, most people. I didn’t listen to the entire Obama address to Congress; however, I heard an important part of the speech–one that made a fascinating statement about … Continue reading
Posted in grammar, language, politics
Tagged grammar, language, Obama address to Congress, politics, President Obama, writing
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Political Pundits
Being a political pundit must be a great job. That has to be the case with being able to provide opinion, mainly critical, without having the responsibility to do any better—especially when it’s done on national television or in a … Continue reading
Logical Reason
Whenever I hear someone give a logical reason, I wonder how many illogical reasons they’ve given. A reason is the basis or cause of a belief or action, and it’s assumed that that these beliefs or causes are based on … Continue reading
Posted in grammar, humor, language, politics, sports, writing
Tagged grammar, grammar error, language, redundancy, redundant language, writing
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Credit Crunch
The economy is a very serious problem now, but I’m going to talk about a much less serious problem—our obsessive use of the term credit crunch. Credit crunch is everywhere. During car commercials (local or national), I hear that you … Continue reading
Posted in politics, writing
Tagged credit crunch, economic crisis, economy, language, politics, writing
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Complete Lack of Tolerance for Tolerance
Tolerate means to allow or to permit, and a person has no more right to allow or to permit another person (or group of people) to be different from himself or herself than I have to permit or to allow you … Continue reading
True Patriotism
The terms patriotic and unpatriotic have been tossed around in recent years more than a drunken rookie bull rider, with its most common usage being a repeated assertion by the McCain campaign (on many fronts–by himself, Governor Palin, campaign workers, … Continue reading
Posted in language, politics, writing
Tagged election 2008, English, language, McCain, Palin, patriotic, patriotism, politics, Presidential election, unpatriotic
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McCain Condescension
Senator John McCain accurately made the point in the final presidential debate last night that you need to look closely at the words people use. He did it in reference to a point about Senator Barack Obama, but I’ll do … Continue reading
Everything Language and Grammar 