Stop Calling Republicans ‘Hypocrites’

Tina Dupuy has an interesting take in an article today Stop Calling Republicans.

Not to minch words:

It’s not that Republicans aren’t hypocrites – it’s more that the label just isn’t an effective dig. First, hypocrite is a fancy foreign Greek word like amnesty, ethics or Europe – how is that going to appeal to Republicans? Second, espousing virtues you don’t personally have to live up is basically the point of being a Republican.  

In fact, Tina points out that Hypocricy is actually a Republican virtue!

Talker Rush Limbaugh, speaker for Republicans everywhere, famously railed against drug users and called for harsher sentencing for possession when it was fashionable in the ’90s. Then in 2006 Limbaugh was arrested and went to rehab after losing his hearing as a direct result of his long-term drug addiction. Needless to say, he’s cool with hypocrisy. He even thinks hypocrisy a good thing. During South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford’s “Appalachian Trail” love affair last year, Limbaugh defended the Republican politician, telling his audience, “Hypocrisy shows that there are moral values in a culture. Without moral values in a culture it would not be possible for anyone to be a hypocrite.” 

Calling a conservative “hypocrite” is like calling a progressive “liberal”: It stings, but they don’t actually understand why it’s supposed to be offensive. The GOP doesn’t see self-contradiction as a moral shortcoming. They see people who don’t agree with them as a moral shortcoming.

“Republicans are FOR the government getting out of our lives. That’s unless we look like we could be Mexican, or we’re a woman of childbearing capability.” Or want to build a Mosque.

But Tina has a soultion to our word problem.

No, using the word “hypocrite” should really be stopped altogether. It’s become a meaningless insult like “Nazi,” “bias,” or “environmentalist.” It actually has some spray back onto its user anyway. Basically pointing out someone is a hypocrite makes you sound like an angsty emo tween. It’s a word we learn in junior high to apply to grownups.

Instead of “hypocrite” I recommend the word “fraud.” It sounds bad. Fraud is illegal. Fraud is immoral. And it’s an accurate way of describing hypocrisy without sounding like an irate Justin Bieber fan.

What is your word of the day?