‘Talking Right’: Why the Left Is Losing, Linguistically

Fresh Air on NPR interviews linguist Geoff Nunberg about his new book. In his new book, Talking Right, Nunberg examines the parlance of the American political right. Conservatives, Nunberg notes, have been remarkably effective at creating a language through which to convey their agenda. The subtitle of his book illustrates what he’s getting at: “How Conservatives Turned Liberalism into a Tax-Raising, Latte-Drinking, Sushi-Eating, Volvo-Driving, New York Times-Reading, Body-Piercing, Hollywood-Loving, Left-Wing Freak Show.”

July 7, 2006 by Bibliofuture Uncategorized 6

Anonymous Patron says:

July 7, 2006 at 8:49 pm

It isn’t?
Liberalism isn’t a tax-raising, latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading, body-piercing, Hollywood-loving, left-wing freak show? That is news to the Koskids.

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GregS* says:

July 7, 2006 at 9:15 pm

Announcement
If anyone wants to give me a Volvo I will be happy to drive it.

I will not eat sushi however, free or not.

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Chuck says:

July 7, 2006 at 9:39 pm

Re:It isn’t?
Wow, where can I get a job writing jokes for Rush Limbaugh’s 2004 shows?

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mdoneil says:

July 8, 2006 at 5:30 am

Call a spade a spade
What would tne liberals like to be called. Lets just call a spade a spade.

I am a gun owning, pro-life, observant Catholic, Honda owning, National Review reading (which just arrived today I don’t read it online), meat eating, tattoo and piercing free, heterosexual, lifelong conservative.

Why does calling some people what they really are irritate them?

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Babylon Sister says:

July 8, 2006 at 7:50 am

Re:Call a spade a spade
I always liked True Blue.

Why don’t people like the name game? Well – I know conservatives who are vegetarians and I certainly enjoy a good burger, can’t stand the latte, prefer my Louisville Slugger to a gun, I do have piercings – but earrings don’t count in this game, don’t have tattoos – but my brother who is conservative does, don’t read the Times, only read the National Review when they do something ridiculous (like the Derb’s “women over 14 are unattractive line” – O-Kay!) – Am a lifelong liberal from a family of lifelong liberals – discounting my Bush loving bro – who no longer can stand the man. I know liberals who support nuclear power as a necessary response to global warming and conservative environmentalists.

I guess why people get irritated is that people aren’t really trying to describe someone when they use the name game – since we can all be so different even within the categories – they’re trying to use a shorthand to defame them through defining them. Really – nobody is fool enough to accept the definitions given of them by their political opponents – at least – I hope not. Kinda like being asked to form a firing line and forming a circle.

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Anonymous Patron says:

July 8, 2006 at 10:04 pm

Re:Call a spade a spade
Why is is that conservatives hate anyone who disagrees with them so strongly that they feel compelled to label, smear, demean, attack, and attempt to discredit us all with emotion-laden falsehoods?

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