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In a message dated 7/19/2005 4:35:13 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Jim: The proper adjective is "Democratic," as in "Democratic Party." (But then, you probably already knew that.) Sorry for the lecture, but this is a hobbyhorse of mine: The lockstep use of "Democrat" as an adjective is not only juvenile, and grating on the ears, it's also quite literally McCarthyist -- in the sense that it was a tactic first used by Joseph McCarthy, who wished to deny the Democratic Party the positive associations generally associated with the word "democratic." I wrote Democrat and I meant Democrat.
And whatever kind of person McCarthy was, personally or politically, the
confirmations of his fears about communist infiltration borne out in the
revelations from KGB files justifies this minor tribute that I give to his
service as a klaxon of dangers ahead.
As to whether it grates, of course it does. Just as so many other
deliberately chosen appellations are found to grate and deployed in service of
their cause nonetheless.
Jim Henderson
Senior Counsel
ACLJ
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