Words/phrases that have lost their edge due to overuse in political debates.

[geek tragedy]

my list:

'traitor' to describe anyone who breaks rules/laws
'authoritarian' to describe anyone who believes rules/laws should be followed
'neoliberal' to mean anyone who believes that markets can play a positive role if properly regulated
'socialist' to mean anyone who believes in properly regulating markets and seeking social justice


others?

[treestar]

1. The media has definitely overused extreme terms

"skyrocketing" - increasing
"plummeting" - decreasing

"Unprecedented" - practically everything is "unprecedented." As if it's not exciting enough to report if it's ever happened before.

[geek tragedy]

2. don't forget 'dramatic' nt

[Populist_Prole]

10. Yeah I hate the way do that. There must be a media speak cliche dictionary somewhere.

Your examples are spot-on. Some are so cliched. Ever hear of cutbacks that weren't "draconian"? Or at how this or that politician "blasts" this or that other politician's platform? Or how this or that law is to be "slated"?

[malthaussen]

3. "Hero," methinks? n/t

[geek tragedy]

4. I dunno, I see that one used more ironically/sarcastically.

"Your hero Assange is sucking up to Ron Paul"

"Your hero Obama praised Ronald Reagan"

etc etc

[malthaussen]

5. I was thinking more along the lines...

... that "hero" is used these days to describe a cop who rescues a cat from a tree. As it is, though, I guess we have yet to coin a word to describe someone who does something actually heroic, unless it is some construction such as "true hero," or "real hero." Since Superhero was appropriated by the comics industry long ago, I guess we're at an impasse.

-- Mal

[NuclearDem]

6. Fascist.

Definitely has lost all of its original meaning in its transformation to a simple epithet.

[OilemFirchen]

7. A few more:

Pragmatist: Lacking core convictions
Nuanced: See Pragmatist

[geek tragedy]

8. by that token

"principled conservative/progressive": ineffective grandstander

"Ted Cruz is a principled conservative"

[Fumesucker]

9. Purist: Actually has core convictions

Far Left: See Purist