I've heard more than once the term "flawed candidates" in connection with the Republican candidates for the Party's nomination. The term was not meant as a compliment.
According to my dictionary the word "flaw" means "a fault; defect; blemish" and its synonym is "imperfection" which I suppose means less than perfect. Now imagine that! The candidates for the Republican nomination are less than perfect.
I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that anyone inclined to support one candidate or another would be predisposed to tailor his language accordingly. As for instance, a candidate may be described as "purposeful" by a supporter but "stubborn" by an antagonist.
Other words may be used in the same way. For example:
Intelligent vs. shrewd
Fighter vs. belligerent
Communicator vs. showman
Value oriented vs. uncompromising
Empathetic vs. panderer
Politician vs. politician?
Open minded/generous vs. liberal
Cautious/moderate vs. conservative.
The next time you hear a pundit, newsman or anyone else, describing a candidate's character or personality, listen to the words. They'll tell you a lot, not necessarily about the candidate, but of whoever is the source of the description.
(My thanks to Bob Schieffer on "Face the Nation" this morning for the last two examples).
According to my dictionary the word "flaw" means "a fault; defect; blemish" and its synonym is "imperfection" which I suppose means less than perfect. Now imagine that! The candidates for the Republican nomination are less than perfect.
I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that anyone inclined to support one candidate or another would be predisposed to tailor his language accordingly. As for instance, a candidate may be described as "purposeful" by a supporter but "stubborn" by an antagonist.
Other words may be used in the same way. For example:
Intelligent vs. shrewd
Fighter vs. belligerent
Communicator vs. showman
Value oriented vs. uncompromising
Empathetic vs. panderer
Politician vs. politician?
Open minded/generous vs. liberal
Cautious/moderate vs. conservative.
The next time you hear a pundit, newsman or anyone else, describing a candidate's character or personality, listen to the words. They'll tell you a lot, not necessarily about the candidate, but of whoever is the source of the description.
(My thanks to Bob Schieffer on "Face the Nation" this morning for the last two examples).
This is a great commentary. TV and newspaper pundits are as biased as the next person, only their opinions are heard by millions. How important to sieve through for oneself!
ReplyDelete