The New "Democrat" Party

Last Wednesday President Bush announced mid-term election defeat by congratulating the Democrat leaders. I'm guessing most people didn't even notice this carefully calculated bit of smear. Bush mispronouncing words is common play, right? I would have missed it if it hadn't been for Hendrick Hertzberg's timely article on Republicans' newfound use of the term "Democrat Party" rather than "Democratic Party." What's in a word you might ask? Well, actually, quite a bit. Like congratulating Steve on his new promotion but calling him Stan, getting your opponent's name wrong at the right time can be a swift backhanded slap. Read on and learn how language, as Newt Gingrich says, can be a "key element of control."