Republicans have a canny way of turning simple phrases into effective weapons for their cause. The latest is “cut and run” — which came up repeatedly in the House’s Iraq debate last week and again Wednesday before the Senate rejected Democrats’ proposed timetable for troop withdrawal. “What it says is, ‘You’re a coward,’ and moreover it presupposes that the opposite is to stand and fight,” George Lakoff, a linguist at the University of California-Berkeley, told The Boston Globe. “Then they repeat it over and over until it becomes part of people’s brains. The Democrats haven’t learned to do that.” And their attempt to do it with the phrase “culture of corruption” was corrupted by their own Rep. William “Cold Cash” Jefferson, D-La.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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69 Comments
“What it says is, ‘You’re a coward,’ and moreover it presupposes that the opposite is to stand and fight,”
No, what it says is “you a short-sighted little coward who is more concerned with your parties political power than with the long term security interests of your nation and the stability of the Middle East”
“No, what it says is “you a short-sighted little coward who is more concerned with your parties political power than with the long term security interests of your nation and the stability of the Middle East”
That from one of the conservative bed wetters that runs and hides under the bed every time some Arab frowns.
That’s rich, Heckler. The party of corruption accusing Democrats of only being interested in political power.
So explain how spending us into a hole we’ll never get out of furthers our national interest.
Only a republican could be stupid enough to think we’re going to stabilize the Middle East.
I like my own three little words:”STAY AND DIE!”
And for what?
I watched “The Fog Of War” again last night, just to remind me of how insane this whole military action is.
John Kerry was using the phrase “lie and die” which is the policy of the Bush Admin – but of course they don’t want to call it that.
XXX
Party of corruption- another little 3 word phrase that’s wearing a little thin, from the party that knows all about corruption.
Hey, I quit wetting the bed when I was 5 and my wife has so much shit stored under the bed nothing bigger than a cat can hide under there.
XXX
“Only a republican could be stupid enough to think we’re going to stabilize the Middle East.”
Leave it to a Democrat to think that the people of Iraq and the middle east are to STUPID to actually overcome thousands of years of triballism and warfare. Leave it to a Dem to think that the people of Iraq are to STUPID to recognize a historic opportunity when they see it, a chance at representative government, Democracy of sorts.
Your probably right X, the people of Iraq just don’t have what it takes. Therefore I’m STUPID.
I think the Democrats will be in a world of hurt when come after election time they hear the phrase “two-more-years”.
Meaning they didn’t get control of the House and Senate like they expect to. ;)
Yep XXX lets just go back to treating terrorism as a law enforcement issue, Clinton had it right. Of course we’ll have to tolerate a few more bombings of barracks, embassies, and war ships, but hey, it’ll be a lot easier to balance the budget.
Heckler–Should be too STUPID, stupid.
Tracy
My bad, sorry. Coffee is weak.
We are so close to winning the war on terror in Iraq. We are pretty much accomplishing all that we said we want to accomplish.
Which is great! We needed another win on our column. I honestly believe that the Iraq War and most of the troops will be withdrawn before 2008, that it won’t even become an election issue.
Why cut and run when we are almost done?
Joe, thats pretty catchy. Sounds like good t-shirt material.
Heckler, that’s cool.I’m just being sarcastic. not hateful.I thought it was kind of ironic, actually.
Joe I have to ask, which Iraq have you been thinking off. So far it is a stalemate at best.We still need to win some more hearts and minds. Getting electical service that was on for more then a few hours at a time would help. It is winable if we can get the majority to see how their lives are better. Daily killings, no power and little water makes people a bit cranky.
Joe? Almost done?I will have to remember that years from now when we are still losing our best and brightest young people to this insanity.Then when time has proven you wrong we can print tee shirts that say:MAKE JOE EAT CROW!!
The only reason that the Republicans are going after Jefferson is because he is black.
It’s another example of the horrible racism that continues to plague our country.
Black voters will again turn away from the party of white flight thanks to this.
Viva egualidad!
“Daily killings, no power and little water makes people a bit cranky.”
Dog: Sounds like L.A. when Gray Davis was governor!
What is the withdrawl plans to pull the troops out of New Orleans? Can they give us a timetable?
;)
heheh, I am still laughing since more than fifty percent of those polled by pew still say it was wrong to invade iraq. Sixty percent say we should withdraw our troops.
All the jingos in the world will not cover up the disaster that is george’s excellent adventure in iraq.
And as ralph “chritian coalition” reed starts to tune up for his singing debute, the culture of corruption issue will heat up again.
Lots of time until November, and with no rabbits up his sleeve in iraq, or the economy, inflation has its jets reving up for takeoff, interest rates are rising fast, the national debt soars….
Bookmarking this thread for future reference. I hear the republicans whistling past the graveyard and clutching their rabbit’s foot, the freezer in the cash guy from the great state of looosiana.
And those old, toothless weapons little ricky was crowing about?
heheheh. I love the smell of desperation in the air.
“We are so close to winning the war on terror in Iraq. We are pretty much accomplishing all that we said we want to accomplish.”
That is so funny, all I am gonna say is DING DING DING DING DING
I picked this up on another blog, but I thought it was worth reposting:
Cut and run
“It’s a nautical term, describing an incident in which a ship’s anchor can not be disengaged from the sea floor. The condition may place the vessel in mortal peril, so the anchor rope must be cut, allowing the ship to “cut and run”.If anyone can find a more apt metaphor for what needs to be done in order to address the curent situation in Iraq, I’d love to hear it.”
KFG………Here’s one.
It is so very sad that American politics needs to resort to “slogans” which grossly misrepresent facts to win elections.
“Cut and Run” implies cowardliness where none exists.
Actually it was a navel military tactic to slip ship’s anchor of a man-o-war, and sail her out of the range of shore canon.
Save a ship caught in harbor from being set ablaze and give her the needed maneuvering room to fight in open sea.
The cowards, like Karl Rove, George W Bush, and the neocons stayed on shore.
Certainly not driving a gunboat up a river with hostiles firing from both banks.
Ed Friedemann
Posted by: Ed Friedemann | June 21, 2006 at 11:11 AM
KFG
My Favorite: “America First”
1. Stop the nonsense.. come home.
2. Win the peace…Takes more guts
KFG
Or: “Put America First”
Hey, Rhonda, ever READ your own professional publications?
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/pressingissues_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002726568&imw=Y
“(June 22, 2006) — The new efforts by Republicans in Congress, and in the media, to use Iraq to their advantage by branding Democrats as favoring a “cut-and-run’” policy, has received wide coverage in the past week. Often pundits, and even reporters, have suggested that this is working, because Americans are not in favor of a “hasty” withdrawal. Democrats are in shambles, they report, as they fear that proposals for setting a timetable for withdrawal put forward by Sen. John Kerry and Rep. John Murtha will prove disastrous for the party in the November elections, due to the alleged unpopularity of this stance.
“This conclusion, however, flies in the face of surveys by all major polling firms, as E&P has chronicled over the past two years.
“It’s one thing when polls are dismissed, ignored or twisted by political or media spinmeisters. But when journalists in their news stories do it, it is downright misleading.”
xxxxxx
Because why should newspaper reporters mention that every poll in the US says a majority wants the US out of Iraq NOW?
What? are we supposed to be some kind of _democracy_ or something?
Here’s more–
The fact is, not “some” polls, but virtually every major poll shows that American have long declared that going to war against Iraq was a mistake.
And far more than “independent voters” are drawn to withdrawal. Every major poll reveals that a majority of Americans advocate withdrawals from Iraq, with large numbers wanting this to be quite speedy, and most wanting a full pullout in a year or so (Kerry’s idea) or by the end of next year.
This is hardly a “some” position. A CNN poll, for example, conducted June 14-15 found that 53% favored a timetable for withdrawal, while 41% opposed it. Yet newspaper editorials, as usual, remain mute on this and the Senate today soundly trounced the Democrats’ withdrawal pleas, even a wishy-washy one put forward by Sen. Carl Levin.
“XXX
Party of corruption- another little 3 word phrase that’s wearing a little thin, from the party that knows all about corruption.”
So how does it feel, Buttercup?Yep, we know all about corruption. repubs are putting on a pretty good show, what?
“”Only a republican could be stupid enough to think we’re going to stabilize the Middle East.”
Heck, puleeze! Nobody in the Mid-East thinks we’re going to democratize them. Last I heard, there aren’t any republicans in the Middle East (fortunate for them).Nope, it’s only American conservatives who think you can force Democracy at the point of a gun.It aint gonna happen.No how.No way.
Another slogan worth remembering:
Blind faith in bad leadership is not patriotism.
THANK YOU JJ. DITTO
How dumb!
As if the Republicans are the only ones who have talking points and phrases they put out…
What a non-story.
You do not like phrases? How about a jingle, ” Stay the course….that’s insane….watch your military go down the drain! Its a Bushy, its a Bushy, its a Bushy” .
Sigh, on the way to the meet up last night I stopped and grabbed a couple of hot dogs, filling and only $2.09. The guy in front of me had a tee shirt that read ” The terrorists can strike our buildings and bring them down to their foundations. But they can never bring down the foundations of this country.
George Walker Bush , Sept, 2001″
I miss the days I thought we had the right President for the right time in this country’s history.How about a slogan : How do you spell a misguided, diversion to the real fight against the enemy of the United States of America? I R A Q!
Writerdog-You left out an incredibly expensive waste of money and more importantly,of lives.
gster, it is best to leave a slogan as brief as possible so it is easy to remember. Besides if someone has not figured out the true cost of Iraq. They have not given a moment thought about it and will not still.
Wdog- I stand corrected– I agree. I’m sorry I didn’t get to meet you , the Price’s ,and etc., last night.Something to look forward to.
Yeah I saw your name tag and I met to talk but next thing I knew it was time to leave and I had not gotten to you yet. Sorry, next time for sure.
“meant” I did not catch it till after I had hit post.
No problem- next time.
G
They had NAME TAGS? OMG that is rich! “Hi I’m XXX”
Not picking on you X. Name tags. lol
And the thread.
“Cut and run” is of course the named opposite to that other little trite 3 worder “stay the course” Both “naval” type references as kfg showed us with the origins of cut and run and is self evident with “stay the course”
The Titanic “stayed the course”. I think I’ll leave that right there.
Oh but hey we are dealing with the short attention spans of Americans. “Cut and Run” despite its original meaning that kfg showed is meant to gin up folks, call ‘em out. It is basically a charge of cowardice. But what would we be cutting? Well our losses in blood and treasure for one. Also this “war” would not continue to be a distraction from the failed domestic policies of the GOP. Too Halliburton and the contractors rebuiliding bridges so they can get blown up again are gonna take a fiscal hit.
I like a TWO word phrase I’ve heard lately.
HAD ENOUGH?
“We are so close to winning the war on terror in Iraq.”
Good grief . . . what war on terror in Iraq? Excuse me, but Iraq got run out of Kuwait way back when, and hasn’t invaded a country, let alone the United States, since then. So just where the hell do you come up with something like, “We are so close to winning the war on terror in Iraq.”
There WAS a war fighting terrorists in Afghanistan, and from the sound of things, it hasn’e got much better there. But we invaded Iraq, not the other way around, and NO WMD were found that support our being there. This latest so-called “find” is nothing more than nothing. Bring em home.
Hey,But then he said, “I fear that in the run-up to the 2004 election, the administration is now considering what is tantamount to a cut-and-run strategy.” …John Kerry, in a speech on 12/03/2003..Could it be that he started it. Did he mean it was wrong to cut and run back then? Another Flip Flop?
Could it be that he started it. Did he mean it was wrong to cut and run back then? Another Flip Flop?
Funny how when Kerry makes a decision and then gathers more information and adjusts his point of view he is called a flip flopper. However when shrub doesn’t change his (tiny) mind no matter what evidence is given to him the wingnuts say he is standing firm.
Perhaps if you right wing jerkoffs actually knew half of what you think you know you wouldn’t have screwed the country up as badly as you did.
Since Kerry will always be associated with the viet nam debacle, some of you might want to read a really interesting comparison of why iraq is not viet nam, but if you really wanna piss off a right wing republican hawk, just mention that fact.
Again, long, but a very intelligent read on why iraq is fated to end like viet nam, and what that means for the neocons.
http://powerofnarrative.blogspot.com/2006/06/battling-ghosts-of-vietnam.html
Heehehe. Probably the best way to stop another viet nam situation in the future is to NOT GET INTO ONE!! Preventative, not preemptive action is required, and a shift in attitude.
But then, no one believed the “america hating liberals” who saw this coming. Nope, we were just shouted down in a chorus of “bush, right or wrong” and “love it or leave it ya damn terrorist loving and supporting traitors”.
How did that shouting and not listening work out? For iraq? For america? For the constitution? For our troops? For freedom of unreasonable search and seizure? For our future? for YOU?
But please, just continue to stay the course.
We can win the “Global war on terror” if we stop shooting people.
Girl, why shouldn’t they stay the course, it’s not their kids that are dying, but it is their buddies making all the money off it.
Seen what coming?
We have been there several years now and have only lost 2500 troops.
We successfully defeated the standing army of an entire country in less than a week.
We have been fighting the terrorists and insurgents for over 2 years now.
What is this I told you so?
Just because you choose to exploit every single death of an American soldier in this war doesn’t mean it is a failure.
I am sure Al qaeda appreciates all your support. Keep giving them hope that we will cut and run and I am sure that they will keep the pressure on.
So if we think Bush is a nincompoop, then we’re suddenly supporting terrorists?
I DON’T THINK SO, BUCKO.
It’s a joke when it’s on the Colbert Report.It ain’t funny in real life.
Tracy,
Where did I say anything about what you think about Bush?
Keep beating your strawman if it makes you feel like you can actually win an argument.
So if we think this war is a tradgedy that could have been avoided, then we’re suddenly supporting terrorists?
I DON’T THINK SO, BUCKO.
It’s a joke when it’s on the Colbert Report.It ain’t funny in real life, because it’s not straw men that are dying.
– iraq is fated to end like viet nam –
Typical left-wing wet dream.
BTW, study up on the straw man thing, your posts fit the description, not mine.
If we don’t support the war, then we support terrorists by proxy?Bullshit.That’s the perfect description of a straw man argument!
And whoever you are, if you were a TRUE patriot, you wouldn’t be posting under some phony nickname.Grow some balls and stand up for you views openly and honestly.Why not, Nathan does and he has nothing to be ashamed of or hide from. A tip o’ the hat to you Nathan. I belive you’re a real man, even if I don’t agree with you!
– you wouldn’t be posting under some phony nickname. –
And your real name is ‘Tracy’.
Sorry…few folks around here are falling for your left-wing hysteria.
Tracy,
If you are feeling some sort of guilt for supporting terrorism, don’t balme it on me.
I said that your exploiting every death there as more reason to cut and run is what gives the enemy hope.
The only way they can win is if we cut and run. They sure can’t beat us in a stand up fight. Each and every day our brave men and women are defeating them.
There only hope is the enough people like you sit here and see every sinlge death, like you do, as more reason to leave and demand we leave and continue to call our President incompitent or whatever else.
I don’t think you are giving the enemy hope, I can guaruntee to you that you are.
Nathan, the problem is, insurgents don’t do “stand up fights”. It’s kind of like the American Revolution when the British complained that the Americans didn’t fight fair because they hid behind rocks and trees to shoot instead of standing in neat columns.
For the insurgents to engage in a stand up fight would be insanity when they can just leave the munitions that we didn’t secure laying around and blow us up from a distance.
I just love our plan for victory. I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Mission accomplished. The insurgency is in it’s last throes.
Nathan,We ONLY lost 2500 soldiers so far in this war? What we have, IMO, is 2500 soldiers who died in a war that shouldn’t have taken place at all. And don’t even place that “you support terrorism if you don’t support the war” crapolla. You know damn well I’m a Viet vet, and I will support our troops for however long they are in harms way, but Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, didn’t have WMD, didn’t try to buy yellow cake, and didn’t invade anyone, other than Kuwait, for which they got their ass kicked. And they certainly had nothing to do with the Al-Quida network UNTIL we invaded. So just where in the hell is the justification for this war? George Bush?
If that’s justification for invading a country, then we should be invading Spain, Italy, Pakistan, China, Korea, Mexico, Canada and hollywood.
What we are giving the enemy is fodder for his terrorist activities. We are creating a whole new generation of Muslim extermists who will do anything they can to destroy the ” evil empire.”
Iraq should have been left to its own devices. If the people of Iraq wanted freedom bad enough, they would have found a way to make it happen. Our being there is NOT going to make a difference.
Well said JM, I Fully agree and for those reasons.
G
XXX,
I would hardly compare the tactics used by the enemy in Iraq with those of the colonists during the Revolution.
I like how you slipped the “munitions that we didn’t secure” into your reply.
Actually, most of your reply was little more than a bunch of little saying thrown in there with little substance to it. I have no problem having a reasoned discussion with you, but if you insist on providing little more than your drive by sayings like…
“I see the light at the end of the tunnel” and “Mission accomplished” and “The insurgency is in it’s last throes.”
…I find a reasonable conversation hard to have.
Anyhow, I am only too sure that Saddam had plenty of different munitions hid all throughout the country.
Our brave men and women are doing their job and they hunt them down and find and destroy what they can.
Sorry that nothing can be done perfectly or good enough for you.
JM Walker,
I am not saying nor have I said that anyone supports terrorism.
Once again, what I have said is that by using every single death of an American soldier to attack our President and demand for us to cut and run gives the enemy the hope they need.
The only thing they have to gain by doing the brutal and sick things they do to our troops is people like you sitting here in America saying we should leave because of it.
They can’t beat us any other way.
As far as invading Iraq goes, many reasons were given, but you need go no farther than their being in non compliance with the terms of their surrender from the first gulf war.
I know you and your friends will do everything they can to paint this war as being faught wrongly or unjustly, but you have to purposfully ignore facts to do so.
“I would hardly compare the tactics used by the enemy in Iraq with those of the colonists during the Revolution.”
Nathan, actually it’s a great comparison. Like the Continentals, the Iraqis have figured out a way to combat a larger, well-equipped force, and do it effectively. The days of the huge, set piece battles are over. There’s not going to be a “battle to end all battles”, they’re just going to chew us up around the edges. And they’ll do it with impunity, because we don’t really know who “they” are. They can hit us…then fade back into the general population.
No insurgency has ever been defeated by any occupying army.
Nathan
If this is true: “As far as invading Iraq goes, many reasons were given, but you need go no farther than their being in non compliance with the terms of their surrender from the first gulf war.” , then why isn’t the UN handling Iraq , as it appears they are in Iran?Desert Storm was far more well received worldwide and especially in the Muslim part, than the current US actions in Iraq are.
Something occurred to me about a year ago, regarding the statement that we are safer her in America because we are fighting in Iraq.
Iraq is the second most holy place in Islam , behind Medina and Mecca in Saudi Arabia. An attack there would be viewed as Infidels upon Holy ground, even more so as a rerun of the Cursades. I think it is logical to assume that a certain percentage of Muslims , given there reverence to history, would become so incensed at our action, that they would become diehard enemies and want to attack us. I’m told there are a billion Muslims in the world. If , say, even 1/4 of 1 percent chose this path, Bush would have created 2.5 million diehard terrorists coming afte us. Play with the percentages, it stil indicated a lot of trouble in pipestream. When you consider what 19 did, it does not bode well.Your thoughts , please.
The extremist think that way. Do you think that people of other religions besides Christanity are considered a threat to people in the United States?
Yes! Some people believe that. They feel that anybody besides their clan or religion are wrong and must be eliminated, but the vast majority of people are tolerant and do not have that thinking. I believe that the vast number of Iraqis and Muslims feel the same way.
I hope to hell you are right, but I don’t think so.
Nathan says:
“I am sure Al qaeda appreciates all your support.”
And then he says”
“I am not saying nor have I said that anyone supports terrorism.”
WTF? This is not a pipe?
Well, we see how facile nathan is at denying the truth. Even the truth of his own words.
Know the truth nathan, and the truth shall set you free.
KFG,
The “truth” is that Iraq will never be a diverse democracy, never! The other “truth” is that we will cut and run but shrub will leave the cutting and running to the poor slob who gets elected in 2008. Old shrub is going to play tough guy no matter how many Iraqis and Americans have to die!
Viva La Raza Blanco!!
Nathan, I don’t believe at this point that we should leave.All I’m saying is that this war may have been unecessary.Nothing is ever completely black/white, right/wrong 100% of the time. I would never exploit anyone’s death for any reason.Each and every death due to war is a tradgedy, and should be treated as such, not used as a political tool by anyone.
In fact, if we are at a turning point, and our leadership on the ground in Iraq say we are, I believe the time would be right to increase troop strength and throw every thing we can at them.