Democrat-Democratic (afraid to ask this in GD)

[trof]

I didn't want to ask this in GD because I already have a tooth that's a little bit loose and I don't want to lose it prematurely.

It's the Republican Party and it's adherents are Republicans.
It's the Democratic Party and it's adherents are Democrats.
Why aren't we Democratics?
Or what's wrong with the Democrat Party?
I don't get it.
You say Democrat Party and some folks go ballistic.
But it's OK to say "he's a Democrat".
I'm really not looking for trouble.
Just a little education.
Thank you.

[Mizmoon]

It's wordplay started by the neocons

The idea is that the Democratic Party makes it sound like we are the bastions of Democracy - so they call us the "democrat party" instead.

[CO Liberal]

1. The Phrase "Democrat Party"...

...was started by Rush Limbaugh and and the other asshole RW radio hosts have adopted it. Any time you hear someone refer to either the "Democrat Party" or "Algore", you know that you're dealing with a mindless dittohead who is either unwilling or unable to think for himself or herself.

[MikeG]

2. Republicans purposely get this wrong to annoy us.

Especially Southerners.

When I hear them do it I want to shoot them.

[Mizmoon]

5. Don't let it bother you

I also don't care when they call us "yankees". They mean to be hurtful but they forget who was the first to call Americans "yankees" - the same guys we had to poke full of holes (along with our French buddy Lafayette) to create the nation they so enjoy destroying.

[Old and In the Way]

12. Calling me a Yankee is pretty insulting.

I identify with the Red Sox. :-)

[Shrek]

3. I don't get it either

:shrug:

But use the word "Democrat" as an adjective and prepare to be disemboweled. Granted it's incorrect usage but there are bigger fish to fry at the moment.

[Cats Against Frist]

4. It's language manipulation

There is a conscious effort on the Right to separate the Democratic party from "democracy" (both figuratively and literally).

They say "Democrat Party," as a kind of -- I can't really explain it, like "we're not going to call those lilly-livered liberals the Democratic Party."

Playing into it -- it's just a subtle way to rip on Democrats. It's a childish power move, much in the "Freedom Fries," vein.

[BurtWorm]

6. Democrat is the noun. Democratic is the adjective.

I'm a Democrat. It's the Democratic Party.

[trof]

7. They're Republics. It's the Republican Party.

Naw, that ain't right.
Nemmine.
screwy

[BurtWorm]

8. They're Repulsive. It's the Repulsive Party.

Seriously, a Democrat is a member of the Democratic Party. The Party is Democratic, not the Party is Democrat.

[trof]

9. OK, I think this is just one of those things

I'll just have to accept.
I'm OK with that.
;-)

[WoodrowFan]

10. We used to refer to ourselves as "the Democracy."

We used to refer to ourselves as "the Democracy." I still kind of like that.

[fob]

11. Trof, you get 1,000,000 points for spelling and using loose/lose

correctly though!

:evilgrin:

[trof]

13. I'm SUCH a show off.

I noticed that.
Maybe this was just a grammar lesson after all.
I'll go with that.
Thanks.

[Hoping4Change]

14. One defintion of democratic is "Believing in or practicing

social equality, for example “a proper democratic scorn for bloated dukes and lords” (George du Maurier).

IMHO Repukes don't want people to associate that meaning with the Democratic Party so they mangle the word.

Other defitions of democratic that Repukes want to downplay: characterized by, or advocating democracy; of or for the people in general; popular.

And check this out,

Merriam Webster includes the following note in it's definition of REPUBLICAN,

"Note: In some ancient states called republics the sovereign power was exercised by a PRIVELEGED FEW, constituting a government now distinctively called an aristocracy. In some there was a division of authority between an aristocracy and the whole body of the people except slaves. No existing republic recognizes an exclusive privilege of any class to govern, or tolerates the institution of slavery."


I BEG TO DIFFER WITH WEBSTER ON THE LAST POINT that "No existing republic recognizes an exclusive privilege of any class to govern.."

[geniph]

15. It's the usage of "ive" vs. "an"

You can use "an" as a suffix to describe an individual - he's a CaliforniAN, for example. You do not use the suffix "ive" to describe an individual - she's a Californiaive.

You don't call a Republican a Republic, or a member of the Republic party, either.

Simple grammar. No ulterior motives. Using Democrat party is improper grammar, besides the more childish wingnuts having come up with the brilliant idea of using it as some sort of weird pejorative.

[RoyGBiv]

16. The Real Answer

Well, with all-cap subject, it sounds offical, doesn't it? :-)

Seriously though, the words "democratic" and "republican" are derivatives of the base words "democracy" and "republic" respectively. (If you really, really want to get technical, this can be broken down a bit further, but I doubt it would lead to a greater understanding.)

The suffixes "-ic" and "-an" both mean essentially the same thing used in this context: "of or relating to." However, some suffixes are only used to create certain types of words while others can be used to create multiple types.

"-ic" as a suffix is only used to create an adjective. "-an" as a suffix can be used to create both nouns and adjectives. Therefore, "republican" can be both an adjective and a noun. "Democratic" can only be an adjective. (There may well be an exception to this, but I can't think of one in which "-ic" is used as an actual suffix, i.e. it's not an inherent part of the root word. Note: "ic" in the word "republic" is not a suffix.)

[trof]

18. I like "The Real Answer" best.

Thanks

[SoCalDem]

17. They started doing this a while back, and no one called them on it

so they kept it up.. They are "word nazis"..They pervert words and turn them into twisted relics of their original meaning.

They do it to "demean" our party.. like the nasty way they all spew out the word LIBRUL..

It's in their "handbook".. they all use it..

If someone's name is William, and you know he only wants to be called William, yet you insist on belittling him by calling him "Billy"...because you know it makes him crazy... well you get the idea..:)

[trof]

19. They have been damned sucessful with "Librul".

And that really pisses me off.
I remember when "tax-and-spend-liberal-Democrat" became one word.
I'm working on "borrow-and-spend-conservative-republican".

[SoCalDem]

20. To be effective, though, there must be AIR-TIME

given to these memes.. That's where we fell off the horse.. THEY control the message :(