When did "liberal" become a bad word?

[southernleftylady]

I hear righties all the time saying that kerry is the most liberal senator now. also when they discuss edwards one of the "bad ways" that they discuss him they call him liberal.
Why do they think its a bad word?

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[rfranklin]

16. Capitalizing on the fear of people engendered by the 1960's....

the Republicans and right wingers started using "liberal" as a code word for those "people who love the blacks and welfare cheaters and drugs and casual sex and homosexuals and little brown people from South America who want to rape your daughter and are stealing jobs from highly qualified white people through affirmative action.

[MotorCityMan]

33. Yes, I remember it starting with George, Sr.

I distinctly remember during the '88 election George Sr. throwing the phrase "card carrying member of the ACLU" around. Of course it was said with utter contempt.

I remember it because I was confused and asked my dad why all of a sudden liberal was such a bad thing. Dad's response was priceless. He said it was because Bush is an asshole.

[DarkPhenyx]

2. 17 May 1973.

at about 2:30 am in a pub in lower Manhatten. Jake Dunney exclaimed "fucking Liberals" and it spread by word of mouth from there.

:)

Jake has since been hunted down and shot.

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

3. I believe we can thank (curse) Dukakis for that

Instead of standing up to Bush the Elder, he caved.

[DarkPhenyx]

5. *shrug* Prehaps.

I don't think it helps placing blame, and I think it's a fruitless exercise anyway. There is plenty of it to go around.

[salvorhardin]

7. Earlier than that I think

I vividly recall arguing with my high school's Alex P. Keaton an him using liberal almost as an epithet. This would be 1984, but I'm sure I heard the term liberal used similarly even earlier.

[Corby]

8. I concur.

Dukakis set our side back about 10 years. Not because of his policies, but because he was short, and a lousy campaigner.

[NewJeffCT]

36. 1950s maybe

Probably during the McCarthy era Commie witch hunt... I remember reading a speech from JFK defending himself after being called a liberal.

[Robbien]

4. It was part of the whole Right Wing propaganda plan

It started right around Newt Gringrich and his Republican Contract with America. The whole right wing gaggle, Rush, Hannity and Fox kept hammering away about liberal being a dirty thing to be.

But these last two years we are taking our label back. Being liberal is a good thing. The right wing gaggle can just stuff it.

[moondust]

6. Reagan started it.

As far as I know he was the first to refer to the "L word", something so bad it should not be uttered in public. I suspect this may be the origin of Ann Coulter.

[tinanator]

43. that was GHWB

Im pretty sure

[Corby]

9. It'll take a legendary figure to bring it back.

We need another national leader who can do for "liberal" what Reagan did for "conservative."

[cthrumatrix]

10. I think cheney's words are worse........

[the Kelly Gang]

11. before Cheney became a much dirtier word

[no_hypocrisy]

12. Reagan. Ford didn't care. Nixon called us anti-war communists or

something close to that.

[No Mandate Here.]

13. The same day that * became one.

Election day (month), 2000.

[Beearewhyain]

14. It has been a "bad" word for a while but i think that is changing

The RW has used it as a derogative term for so long that it has lost any real meaning.However, I think that is changing for the better.

For example, I was over at my friends for the 4th and decided not to go off on politics; which to say the least is a difficult proposition for me. My friend knows my politics and we have had many a friendly discussion on the topic sometimes to his chagrin. Well anywhoo, a topic came up regarding food and I made a comment about how I LOVE this country and one of the reasons that I do is that I can go into any restaurant, ask someone to bring me food, and they do. (I still think that is a very cool thing which most of us take for granted) To which he said, with a mischievous grin, "There's nothing worse than a flag waving liberal". He said this in fun, knowing how I am.Of course I said "Damn straight I am a flag waving liberal", which drew a few well meant chuckles.

The very fact that "flag waving" and "liberal" were tied together in this somewhat apolitical audience made me realize that the tide may be truly turning. Liberal isn't such a "bad" word any more.

[JHB]

35. Maybe...

...but then, the whole cause for chuckles was the idea that "liberals" _aren't supposed_ to be "flag wavers".

[quaker bill]

15. The word began its trek toward becoming a Social Icon in 1980

During the first Reagan campaign. Nixon and Agnew bandied the concept about but often mixed it up with communist, outside agitators, effete snobs, etc.

It was the Reagan campaign that brought disciplined manipulation to the language. Gingrich in his now somewhat famous memo telling republican candidates to always term their opponents "weak, sick, immoral, liberal, unamerican, and more) in 1994 was just carrying on with the tradition.

This is how the inheritance tax became the death tax and liberal became a dirty word.

It is also why you can interchange the republican talking heads freely but always get the same message. It is because they are disciplined and through this practice the art of language manipulation very well.

[baldguy]

17. Millions of dollars spent & a lot of intense effort.

[Kickin_Donkey]

18. From my experience, I'd say it was during the Reagan ...

years, early 1980s. Previous to that, it was merely descriptive. During the Reagan years, it took on the derisive, "dirty word" tone. Not incoincidently, that was when Rush began his rise.

[AndyTiedye]

19. It Started When The Right Wing Bought Out the Media

Prior to that, it was only a bad word on the more leftward end of the spectrum
(where it always has been).

[AndyTiedye]

20. When the Right Wing Bought Out the Media in the late 70s

[durutti]

21. 1980s-ish.

Started with the breakdown of the post-war Keynesian consnesus in 1973, and had gained currency by the '80s.

[AndyTiedye]

22. When the Wingers Bought Out the Media

[opihimoimoi]

24. Yup, the right wing needed an enemy and it is us . Prior to that

we were the opposition Party, that wasn't good enough, needed stronger than that.

Hence our status, they treat us with contempt, with an attitude reserved for slugs and smegma. Listen to Hannity and Rush, they confirm this. They sow anger and divide this great Nation for THEIR GAIN not knowing they drill holes in this Life Boat called Earth. Such is the Human Pub Mind.

[dumpster_baby]

23. Read and Learn

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
from:

http://www.alternet.org/story/18395/


Think of a "marketplace of ideas" where the products are policies, positions, and issues all competing for dominance. On the surface, this may seem like the stuff of dreams for "free market" conservatives, but it turns out it's a nightmare. You see, what we find is that in this marketplace, Democrats actually have the better product and Americans prefer the policies of Democrats by a wide margin to those of the GOP. In the realm of ideas, just as in any marketplace, the superior or preferred product usually wins out, but not always. An inferior product can dominate in the market when it has superior marketing, and this is precisely what we have seen come to pass in U.S. politics over the past two decades.

....


You really have to give it to them -- the Republicans are truly marketing geniuses. Let's consider some of the core components of marketing that the GOP has managed to dominate over the years. There's branding and negative branding. We have strategic communications, which in the policy world includes what's called "naming and framing," or how you sell your policies, as well as public relations and promotion. And finally, there is placement, or the distribution channels used to reach the consumer. When it comes to branding, conservatives have succeeded in tarnishing the "liberal" brand to the point where liberals themselves, like Michael Moore, deride liberals as wimps. The GOP's negative branding campaign against liberals is why so many people are loath to use the "L word."

At the same time, Republicans have successfully built the conservative brand around powerful connotations of patriotism, strength, down-home values and righteousness. They have been so successful at building their brand that people still think of Republicans as "fiscally conservative," even though the last three "conservative" Republican administrations have all run record deficits. The same goes for the branding of the GOP as the party of "small government." This despite the fact that the current Republican-controlled Congress, the first since 1954, has increased Congressional pork by more than 40%; the Patriot Act gives massive new powers to the federal government; and even non-defense domestic spending is up 11% according to an analysis by the conservative Heritage Foundation.


....

Another vital aspect of marketing is placement, or controlling the distribution channels. Republicans took this a step further by largely replicating Ted Turner's strategy of vertical integration of content and distribution. Cable maverick Turner recognized that he could become a formidable media force by owing both the channels of distribution -- his TBS cable network -- and content. So, he bought sports teams, acquired the MGM classic movie library and invented the 24-hour news network CNN to fill his cable channels. With dedicated channels, sound-bite content and expert spokespeople in the mainstream media, conservatives are retailing their ideas directly to the public or in marketing terms, the "end user." At the same time, in terms of direct marketing through the media, Republicans have managed to intimidate Democrats from competing with them by creating the "liberal media" myth, effectively forcing Democrats into a defensive position.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

And from :

http://www.alternet.org/story/18786/

....
To accomplish this goal, progressives should look to the architecture of the conservative movement, which according to the founder of the Heritage Foundation, Paul Weyrich, was built on "the four M's: mission, money, management and marketing." While each of these factors has played a critical role in the ascendancy of the conservative movement, perhaps the most important is marketing.

To understand the role of marketing, think of policies as the products in "a marketplace of ideas" and public opinion polls as indicators of consumer preference. Polls consistently show that the majority of Americans are more closely aligned with the Democratic Party on the issues than they are with the Republican Party. Yet today twice as many Americans identify themselves as conservatives than as progressives.

...
There are four primary aspects of marketing to consider: There's the building of a brand identity; there are products, which in the marketplace of ideas are policies and positions; there's promotion, or how you "name and frame" your policies; and finally there's placement, or the distribution channels used to reach the consumer. The ultimate counter to the conservative movement is a progressive movement. Why progressive and not liberal? The word "progressive" frames the conservative movement for what it truly is: a regressive, backward movement. As its antithesis, it contrasts conservatives, who are stuck in the past and seek to resist change, with innovative, forward-looking progressives.
....

The conservative brand has been successfully built and promoted around powerful, yet simple, connotations of patriotism, strength, down-home values and righteousness. Progressives should promote their ideals around these same fundamental pillars. They should launch a "progressive patriots" campaign and redefine what it means to be patriotic. As George Lakoff suggests, progressives should campaign "to make America strong again" both at home and abroad. The Democratic Party should position itself as the defenders of the people to the GOP's guardians of the powerful, by vowing to end the stranglehold of corporate special interests and lobbyists over our democracy.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


You interested in doing anything about it?

[jomcnamara]

25. The New Left started liberal bashing in the sixties.

Remember Phil Ochs' "Love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal." It was one of the many self-destructive activities that fed the egos of the "revolutionary" youth of that period. Or was it yet another FBI hoax planted by provocateurs? In any case, "liberal" became a word of scorn and in our typical sensitive way, most of us became timid about defending the title, setting us up for Reagan's counter-punch during the 1980 campaign.

[sendero]

26. Thank Rush...

... for that.

[stavka]

27. Paris during the revolution

[Chili]

31. the "correct" definition of a "Liberal"

This is one of the biggest buttons that can be pushed for me; in the 80's I was sneered at for being liberal, they spat the word out like it was feces, and to denigrate and belittle something is the fastest way to shut people up (note that the 3rd obselete meaning of "liberal" = "lacking moral restraint"). It worked, and this is how they did it. Well, $#@% that, I want to take the word back, redefine it, and CLAIM it. Here's what one of the greatest liberals to ever live had to say about being a "Liberal:"

Sen. John F. Kennedy, acceptance of the New York Liberal Party Nomination, September 14, 1960:

"What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?" If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal."

The rest of this fantastic speech can be found here: http://www.cjnetworks.com/~cubsfan/whatis.html

Also, the literal definition (from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary):

Main Entry: 1lib·er·al
Pronunciation: 'li-b(&-)r&l
1 a : of, relating to, or based on the liberal arts <liberal education> b archaic : of or befitting a man of free birth
2 a : marked by generosity : OPENHANDED <a liberal giver> b : given or provided in a generous and openhanded way <a liberal meal>

...and "liberalism:"

"...a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties"

I'M PROUD TO BE A LIBERAL.

[JanMichael]

28. In 1865

Reconstruction.

The "Liberals" were the Republicans that wanted to fund the Freedman's Bureau-

That's why it was such a big deal when Strom left the Dem party to become a Republican almost a hundred years later.

Sad, isn't it?

[rman]

37. interesting.

that goes some way towards explaining why in the US "liberal" is equivalent to "Left/progressive", while in Europe it is equivalent to "Right/conservative" - turns out once upon a time it did mean "Right" in the US as well.

[Misinformed01]

38. Think of the party of Lincoln

bears very little resemblance to the Republicans of today.

What's so weird about politics in the US in my opinion is that anyone concerned with protecting the environment, wanting everyone to have a chance at an education...in short, anyone that still believes in the "American Dream" for ANYONE willing to work hard enough...is labeled a "Liberal" by these people.

It's bizarre, and I do not understand.

I asked a Conservative one time if he believed this country was founded on "rugged individualism" and he answered "yes." I asked him how long it would have taken the pioneers to actually be able to save and buy their land without it being given to them by the US Government.

He just sat there silently. Again, weird.

[NashVegas]

29. 1987

When the Fairness Doctrine was overturned.

[Union Thug]

30. To wit: Ray-gun era /eom

[0007]

32. Cus they're running scared and can't find any dirt to throw

[NJmaverick]

34. Because scum like Rush Limbaugh

Spent years trying to make it a bad word. WHy do you think this country is so divided?

[slackmaster]

39. It happened during the Presidential campaign in 1980

Another vote for "Reagan started it".

[Zen]

40. I'm sick of this Right-Wing crap. I'm using the word "liberal"

over and over as they get the verbal beating I'm gonna put on some of these whining fags the next time they start with their "talking points" in my office or at home. A "liberal" ass kicking - the word is gonna ring in their ears like they never remember.

[Norquist Nemesis]

41. Rush, Newt, Reagan

all used the meme saying it as if they wanted to wash out their mouths after speaking the word. The time was ripe to present a conservative=good government with controlled spending vs. liberal=big bad government with out-of-control entitlements. Remember the welfare queen?

Now, we hear Bush/Cheney et al saying that Kerry/Edwards and Liberals are "out of the mainstream". Hell, what a crock! Liberals are not SUPPOSED to be "mainstream" anymore than Conservatives are. Liberals are to the left, Conservatives to the right...yet Bush et al keep repeating it to suggest that they embody the mainstream. :eyes:

Because of the success of demonizing "liberal", the center has in fact shifted to the right. :mad:

[CrispyQ]

42. I asked myself the same question yesterday . . .

...and here are some articles my search turned up.

http://www.politicalgateway.com/main/columns/read.html?col=58&id=78

http://www.datelinealabama.com/article/2004/04/16/5715_opinions_art.php3

http://www.hilltopdesign.com/mt/archives/rants/000126.html

Including a really good one from DU:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/02/11/p/23_liberal.html

[snippy]

44. The organized effort to make liberal a bad word started with GOPAC.

From a GOPAC memo:

In the video "We are a Majority," Language is listed as a key mechanism of control used by a majority party . . . .

http://web.utk.edu/%7Eglenn/GopacMemo.html

Republican candidates for local, state and national offices are taught what words to use when referring to their opponents or the democratic party. "Liberal" is one of those words. Some of the others are: betray, bizarre, cheat, corrupt, disgrace, incompetent, pathetic, radical, sick, traitors, unionized, and welfare. My personal favorite is "they/them."

Republican candidates are taught to use these words constantly and reflexively, without thought or consideration. And they do.