When did "liberal" become such a bad word?

[SpreadItAround]

Everytime I see Republicans on the attack, it's always liberal this, liberal that, how did they manage to successfully stigmatize the word and the people who would call themselves liberal?

I mean, I never hear the word conservative used in that manner.

I just don't get it and it pisses me off when I read things like "liberal pussies" and well, you know how they roll.

[whistle]

1. When fascists decided they needed a scapegoat for their sheep-le to hate

[VeggieTart]

20. And if you really wanna make flames shoot from their ears...

Tell 'em Jesus was a liberal.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

2. During the Reagan years, I'm pretty sure.

[Poiuyt]

22. I thought it was Newt Gingrich who demonized it

He also started using Democrat Party instead of Democratic. Focus groups hired by the Republicans thought that Democratic sounded too good. He was the one who really did away with any civility that had existed between the two parties in Washington.

[lectrobyte]

24. that's what I remember too, also Rush Limbo was noted for this.

[BuyingThyme]

3. When truth became inconvenient.

[Caoimhe]

4. I don't know but we must reclaim the word

It means very positive things. BTW, one of my favorite people, Janean Garafilo (sp) has LIBERAL tattooed on her shoulder for the world to see. Bless her heart. She said that she wears the label proudly, I have been thinking of a similar tattoo. I've never had one, and the idea scares me, but I like the feeling of empowerment that sortof no apologies-pride would create.

[Selatius]

5. Since Joe McCarthy invoked the 2nd Red Scare.

Liberals, democratic socialists, anarchists (various left libertarian groups), trade unionists, etc. were demonized as communist appeasers or enablers.

The meme has since mutated into a generally bad connotation of liberalism ever since the Soviet Communist Party was swept from power.

[BootinUp]

6. Ronnie Raygun, Bush I, and their cohorts.

Linked it to all kinds of evil financial and social policies/laws.

[madeline_con]

7. The word we use for them is Repug

or neocons, idiots or morans.

Only stoopid people think the word 'liberal' is bad.

Welcome! :hi:

edited 4 speeling

[greeneyedboy]

8. it's part of the GOP's war on language. cf. Orwell.

yeah, i think somewhere after Carter, though no doubt it was in the works through think tanks etc. before that.

note the keywords the GOP started using in the early 90s:
http://www.politicalstrategy.org/archives/000013.php .

fortunately Lakoff has awakened our side to the importance of metaphor.

[KyndCulture]

9. When Raygun was president.

[mcscajun]

10. I don't know precisely, but it is sometime in the last 20 years...

and there are two perfect responses to the attack on the word "Liberal"; one real, one fictional: both are priceless.

President John F. Kennedy: 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."

Fictional presidential candidate Rep. Matt Santos on The West Wing: "What did Liberals do that was so offensive to the Republican party? I’ll tell you what they did. Liberals got women the right to vote. Liberals got African-American the right to vote. We created Social Security and lifted millions of elderly people out of poverty. Liberals ended segregation, Liberals passed the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act. Liberals created Medicare, passed the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act.

What did Conservatives do? They opposed every single one of those things, every one.

So when you try to hurl that label at my feet, "Liberal", as if it were something to be ashamed of, something dirty, something to run away from, it won't work Senator, because I will pick up that label and wear it as a badge of honor."

[negativenihil]

11. when? sometime in september '01.

Chest-thumping and such...

[Mr_Spock]

12. I just call them RW cowards in return

There are lots more reasons why they are cowards anyway, it's not a big deal if they use liberal as a bad thing.

They are just jealous. I was asked about my politics in public recently, I said "liberal". Fuck em'.

[flordehinojos]

13. in 1988 WHEN GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH vilified the word

in his run against michael dukakis. it just goes to show what an ass the man is. if he truly understood the meaning of the word liberal, he would be falling on his knees asking God to make him a liberal!

[Strelnikov_]

26. Yep. Remember "The Liberal" Skit From SNL Nov. 88

Sort of a take off of 'The Fugitive'

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/88/88d.phtml

[Armstead]

14. Spiro Agnew and Nixon started it

The forerunners of today's Grisly Old Party started using it as a code word for negro-loving hippies.

They've been working to demonize the word ever since.

[filer]

15. I call myself a "Liberal Democrat".

I've never been ashamed of that label. Look what the "Conservative Republicans" have done to our country. They're the ones who should feel ashamed.

[Cleita]

16. Ronald Reagan I believe started it, but it became a buzzword

through the eighties. When I first started hearing it as a perjorative, I just laughed and thought they were ignorant, but then a lot of people were saying it. By that time people were openly accusing me of being a Birkenstock wearing, bleeding heart liberal. I started answering that if voting for clean air, clean water and decent paying jobs for everyone was liberal, then I was guilty.

Then they started bringing their slightly more educated friends around who accused me of being a Marxist. I politely pointed out to them that the Soviet Union a Marxist government was really a totalitarian government and fascist.

By that time my liberal friends were telling me to shut up and that we shouldn't discuss politics. It just got too heated. This my friends is when they won. Every liberal who was ashamed or afraid to talk about liberal values gave the debate to the right wingers. They won. Even during the Clinton years, he tried to look like a conservative Democrat. Too bad. Look what it got us.

[TheCowsCameHome]

17. Scumbag Limbaugh certainly did damage - don't know who started it

[One Voice]

18. Check this out

you can get all kinds of goodies with this on it,
here:

http://www.liberalcartoons.com

[baldguy]

19. 30 yrs and billions of dollars.

Propaganda is expensive.

[Eric J in MN]

21. It's been an issue at least since 1960.

http://www.cjnetworks.com/~cubsfan/whatis.html

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."

[Generic Brad]

23. Wear the "liberal" title proudly

It's modern conservatives who should feel shame with their identity. There is nothing conservative about anything the Republican's represent anymore. They are radical and wrong and the word "conservative" can no longer pass my lips without a disparaging tone of voice as long as we are referring to those self-righteous bandits.

[LeftishBrit]

25. It's bizarre

Many countries have 'Liberal' parties. The UK's centre party is called the 'Liberal Democrats'. I don't see how it's a bad word.

[Beausoleil]

27. Reagan

Before him, it wasn't "liberal" that was demonized. Usually the preferred prejoratives were "commie", "pinko", "fag", "n-lover", etc. You get the idea.
Reagan superceded all that with the "liberal" prejorative and the way the word came mockingly, dripping from his smug mug. Now it's used as a catchall.