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Political Cliches that Piss You Off!
Various Talking Heads | 7/19/2012 | struggle

Posted on 07/19/2012 9:39:16 PM PDT by struggle

I hope you all wont mind this vanity, but my father and I were working (yeah, I know Obama's trying hard to put an end to that), and we started talking about how cable news talking heads have adopted repetitious cliches in their constant partisan battles on the tube.

Here are the top five I DESPISE: 1. At the end of the day... 2. Look,... 3. Speaking truth to power... 4. It is what is is... (a true exercise in tautology) 5. Literally... (when they're figuratively explaining a metaphor or hypothetical)

I can see why political discourse made George Orwell's blood boil so much. The linguistic bumpers that these talking heads punctuate their message with parse the core message to the point of making it meaningless.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Humor
KEYWORDS: cliche; political
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To: struggle
Far Right Wing

Never an utterance of the "Far Left Wing"

The Soft Pro Choice vs. the Hard Anti-abortion

21 posted on 07/19/2012 9:55:12 PM PDT by hole_n_one
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To: struggle

I haven’t heard this phrase in a while, but I found “Saturday night special,” referring to a pistol, to be particularly annoying. A “Saturday night special” must be a .38 special equipped with a timer that only allows it to be used between the hours of 6 PM and 12 midnight on Saturdays.


22 posted on 07/19/2012 9:55:30 PM PDT by Fiji Hill (Deo Vindice!)
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To: struggle

Often seen here: “freedom of speech”, “innocent until proven guilty”.


23 posted on 07/19/2012 9:56:33 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong!)
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To: AlmaKing

The non-apology apology, “I’m sorry if anyone was offended.”


24 posted on 07/19/2012 9:56:33 PM PDT by dfwgator (FUJR (not you, Jim))
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To: running_dog_lackey

>>#5 Misusing “literally” worst offender: Sean Hannity

That’s exactly who we were laughing at. Hannity will say dumb crap like “Obama is literally smashing the small business owner with a baseball bat” or some variant and hope someday that he’ll have an aide in-studio with a 2 sided sign that will show either “figurative” or “literal” so he knows when to use it.

Obama is really bad about using “literally” when he is off-prompter; his speech-writer never uses the word.

One thing that really impressed me is Rush Limbaugh. He is, outside of his oft repeated “official cliches”, probably one of the most verbose and varied speakers. He used braggadocious a couple days ago and I laughed my ass off. Ive never heard ANY speaker use that word in conversation before.


25 posted on 07/19/2012 9:59:06 PM PDT by struggle (http://killthegovernment.wordpress.com/)
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To: struggle

Opponents of President Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative ballistic missile defense program were always calling it “Star Wars”—even though it had nothing to do with stars and was designed to deter wars.


26 posted on 07/19/2012 9:59:18 PM PDT by Fiji Hill (Deo Vindice!)
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To: struggle

“You’re a great American”—Sean Hannity


27 posted on 07/19/2012 10:01:16 PM PDT by Fiji Hill (Deo Vindice!)
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To: struggle
"We can all agree.."

"As everyone knows.."


28 posted on 07/19/2012 10:03:38 PM PDT by I see my hands (It's time to.. KICK OUT THE JAMS, MOTHER FREEPERS!)
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To: struggle

Both sides of the political spectrum are guilty of overusng “McCarthyism” to the point that it has become shopworn.


29 posted on 07/19/2012 10:04:34 PM PDT by Fiji Hill (Deo Vindice!)
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To: struggle
4. It is what is is...

That is my Top Despised Phrase...it means "I give up - you must give up - it is what it is" - I go into a rage with the utterance of that phrase....

30 posted on 07/19/2012 10:04:47 PM PDT by libertarian27 (Check my profile page for the FReeper Online Cookbook 2011)
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To: struggle

“Since it’s an ongoing investigation, we have no comment at this time.”


31 posted on 07/19/2012 10:05:21 PM PDT by hole_n_one
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To: struggle

“Let me be clear” & its variations. Seems I haven’t heard that one as much lately, but it used to be a frequent offender.


32 posted on 07/19/2012 10:06:30 PM PDT by TropicanaRose
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To: struggle
"....your fair share".

"absolutely"

33 posted on 07/19/2012 10:07:43 PM PDT by Texas Songwriter (Ia)
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To: struggle
'rats defending a particular industry are advocates whereas those endorsing conservative causes are part of a lobby.
34 posted on 07/19/2012 10:10:07 PM PDT by hole_n_one
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To: struggle

Clinton lied, no one died.


35 posted on 07/19/2012 10:11:03 PM PDT by ConservativeStatement (Obama "acted stupidly.")
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To: libertarian27

Dittos. A completely unhelpful phrase. It always infuriates me too, but I didn’t realize why until reading your comment.


36 posted on 07/19/2012 10:13:46 PM PDT by TropicanaRose
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To: struggle
I'm resigning so I can spend more time with my family.

Yeah, right.

37 posted on 07/19/2012 10:17:49 PM PDT by hole_n_one
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To: struggle

I.


38 posted on 07/19/2012 10:19:31 PM PDT by deadrock
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To: workerbee

“the American people.”

I must have commented on that 20+ times to my wife and others. They are sick of me drawing their attention to it.

Why not just “Americans?” I think your last (3rd) explanation is right on.

Not a cliche, but notice the most intelligent president ever saying “fer” instead of “for.”


39 posted on 07/19/2012 10:21:17 PM PDT by OldCountryBoy (You can't make this stuff up!)
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To: struggle

“Hitler!!!”


40 posted on 07/19/2012 10:21:23 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong!)
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