Democratic Primaries

MineralMan

(151,301 posts)

2. Well, it can be a positive adjective. "elite athletes," for example.

Mon Jan 13, 2020, 11:43 AM

Jan 2020

Used as a noun to describe people, however, it has a negative connotation. That usage was pioneered by the Republicans to refer to Democrats some time ago. "Intellectual elites." "Academic elites," "Liberal elites." It is meant to mean "People not like us. People who think they're better than us." It's a populist trope.

Like many such words that have been part of the right-wing lexicon, it has become very successful as a slur, and is now used by the media and others without recognizing the origins of that usage.

It really wasn't a noun at all until that noun usage was created as a slur.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden

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"Elites" is a Right-Wing Slur Word [View all] MineralMan Jan 2020 OP

I grew up thinking 'elite' was a good thing even though I and my family comradebillyboy Jan 2020 #1

Well, it can be a positive adjective. "elite athletes," for example. MineralMan Jan 2020 #2

As Bill Maher once said, PatSeg Jan 2020 #13

This is just one of the many problems that comes with an embrace of "populism." The Valley Below Jan 2020 #21

Very well said PatSeg Jan 2020 #29

Bravo comradebillyboy Jan 2020 #60

Libertarians love the elite... czarjak Jan 2020 #67

Excellent point Pacifist Patriot Jan 2020 #3

+1. Judo means the "Gentle Way" yonder Jan 2020 #61

It has also become a left-wing slur word, but with a slightly different nuance. The Velveteen Ocelot Jan 2020 #4

Linguistically, it's an adjective, anyhow. MineralMan Jan 2020 #5

Hillary turned an adjective into a noun PatSeg Jan 2020 #15

Yes, she did. It has become a common thing to convert an MineralMan Jan 2020 #17

And that is how language changes PatSeg Jan 2020 #22

I'm not sure how much doing that happened until recently. MineralMan Jan 2020 #25

Oh yes, Newspeak PatSeg Jan 2020 #37

That usage was also part of Newt Gingrich's effort to MineralMan Jan 2020 #39

I remember that PatSeg Jan 2020 #47

As Democrats We Need to Avoid Using Republican Vocabulary McKim Jan 2020 #50

I think that it was the work of Frank Luntz as part of Newt's Contract on America. BKDem Jan 2020 #57

Could be, but it was Newt who encouraged their use. MineralMan Jan 2020 #59

Yes. Luntz was hired by Newt. Newt was the front man. BKDem Jan 2020 #70

Yup, and its influence has endured. MineralMan Jan 2020 #71

Republicans: Stupids....I like it Rorey Jan 2020 #40

Liberal as a noun has been around for at least 100 years. TwilightZone Jan 2020 #51

I never really got into the white wine jberryhill Jan 2020 #46

Post removed Post removed Jan 2020 #6

That's not how it's typically used, though. MineralMan Jan 2020 #8

"Elites" was the original projection bucolic_frolic Jan 2020 #7

It's all part of a deliberate use of certain words that was started MineralMan Jan 2020 #9

And you know PatSeg Jan 2020 #19

Yes! Rorey Jan 2020 #43

The problem isn't who we are PatSeg Jan 2020 #48

Yeah, we use liberal a lot too. pwb Jan 2020 #10

It wasn't Limbaugh, although he popularized such usages. MineralMan Jan 2020 #11

Liberal as a slur dates back to Reagan. TwilightZone Jan 2020 #14

Oh man, this has burned my ass since I was like 20 Cosmocat Jan 2020 #12

The use of the term "elite" is meant to instill resentment. Happy Hoosier Jan 2020 #16

Populist politics at work. MineralMan Jan 2020 #18

Indeed. They deployed it against Obama regularly. (nt) ehrnst Jan 2020 #20

I've even seen posters here lecturing others about what words we should or shouldn't use, lest we cwydro Jan 2020 #23

+1 BeckyDem Jan 2020 #27

More of a populist term Apollo Zeus Jan 2020 #24

Yes, absolutely it is. MineralMan Jan 2020 #28

It is about class distinctions and its not a right wing slur. BeckyDem Jan 2020 #26

It has become a right-wing slur and a left-wing slur. The GOP and right-wing media The Velveteen Ocelot Jan 2020 #31

It looks like I wasn't direct enough in my OP in condemning its use MineralMan Jan 2020 #34

Maybe. I thought it was pretty clear, but The Velveteen Ocelot Jan 2020 #35

Sometimes I wonder whether people read MineralMan Jan 2020 #36

It's been a right-wing slur since Reagan. TwilightZone Jan 2020 #49

Nonsense. BeckyDem Jan 2020 #77

How about far left? It's used as a slur on here often Bradshaw3 Jan 2020 #30

If you'll think about it, you'll see that I am doing just that here. MineralMan Jan 2020 #32

A condescending non-answer Bradshaw3 Jan 2020 #38

Neither of those two things involves changing a part of speech to another. MineralMan Jan 2020 #41

See #4. The Velveteen Ocelot Jan 2020 #33

So much wrong with that post Bradshaw3 Jan 2020 #42

So, kindly enlighten me. The Velveteen Ocelot Jan 2020 #52

Ad hominem attacks aren't enlightening Bradshaw3 Jan 2020 #78

Correct now and.... JoeOtterbein Jan 2020 #44

Thank You! LiberalLovinLug Jan 2020 #66

'We know best; you know nothing.' The Mouth Jan 2020 #72

Funny you should mention that melman Jan 2020 #74

There's a lot of that going around this primary season. KPN Jan 2020 #45

To me MAGATS think they are the superior ones. LakeArenal Jan 2020 #53

We love stereotypes and lumping people together as much as anyone. TwilightZone Jan 2020 #54

Indeed. As Ruth Bader Ginsburg has often said, "Words matter." PatrickforO Jan 2020 #55

I was listening to Joe Madison JustAnotherGen Jan 2020 #56

Per the Merriam Webster Dictionary of "elites" it's the rethugs that are elitists iluvtennis Jan 2020 #58

Language does matter and the word is not necessarily a slur. aikoaiko Jan 2020 #62

Remember Chimp W. Bush? Harker Jan 2020 #63

To me elites are those who are country club members, fly in private jets have 2nd and 3rd kimbutgar Jan 2020 #64

They doth protest too much... SKKY Jan 2020 #65

I don't know how they get away with accusing us as elites LiberalLovinLug Jan 2020 #69

Elite was a positive word until Conservatives decided to make it a slur. Sloumeau Jan 2020 #68

How about "ruling class"? Odoreida Jan 2020 #73

Not that I'm aware of. MineralMan Jan 2020 #75

Fascist Anti-intellectualism and the Cult of Individualism Thomas Hurt Jan 2020 #76

Language does matter Gothmog Jan 2020 #79