Do we let the Republicans co-opt "grassroots"?

Once again, they steal and distort our language and we quail impotently before them?

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20936-2003Nov29.html>

President Bush's reelection team, anticipating another close election, has begun to assemble one of the largest grass-roots organizations of any modern presidential campaign, using enormous financial resources and lack of primary opposition to seize an early advantage over the Democrats in the battle to mobilize voters in 2004.

-snip-

The entire project, which includes complementary efforts by the Republican National Committee (RNC) and state Republican parties, is designed to tip the balance in a dozen-and-a-half states that both sides believe will determine the winner in 2004.

"I've never seen grass roots like this," said a veteran GOP operative in one of the battleground states.

Excuse me? Are we really sitting still for this?

grassroots: pl. n. 1. People removed or somewhat isolated from a major political center. 2. The groundwork or source of something; basis; origin. _adj. 1. Originating in or emerging from people at a distance from a major political center. 2.Fundamental; basic.

--American Heritage Dictionary.

PLEASE tell me how any of these definitions applies to a usage referring to a massive Republican program orchestrated from the top?

First of all, those numbers are pretty hard to believe. Second, we don't have a candidate yet. Whistle Ass didn't win last time, and now lots of people who voted for him are disillusioned.

If the "grassroots" are "co-opted" it's because they want to be and they will get the government they deserve.

How about 'Top-tier elitists' or 'Top-tier elitist-wannabes'. 'Grassroots' kind of implies change from the bottom up by your average Joe American, not change from the top 10% up to the top 2% by Joe Millionaire/Billionaire.

They have to steal from the liberals because they lack the creativity to come up with their own thing. They have to twist and distort the language, because they'd look like the pricks they are if they used words that really described them. 'Greedy conservative' just wouldn't sell as well.

n/t

:evilfrown:

A manufactured plastic substitute for the real thing which would require actual care and nurturing.

The Washington Post didn't call them on it. But it needs to be done.

and there are a couple of worrisom issues here:

First, the Republicans have ALWAYS been organization freaks. Their party as well as individual campaigns are highly structured with a definite chain of command. Moving up in the hierachy depends directly upon you success at lower levels. The bothersome thing is that they have tapped into information technology in a big way to bring the organization to full strength.

Second, it is the most well-funded effort of its kind in history.

If there is one thing I wish the Democratic Party was better at, it would be organization. Our greatest strength, our diversity, is also our greatest weakness because we cannot stratify ourselves into a cohesive fighting force. We depend upon the truth of our message and sometimes that just isn't enough.

Repub organization is strict and disciplined. We're going to have to fight hard to beat it.

No offense to any mulit-level marketers out there!

About 6 months ago there was some minor scandal within the California Young-Republicans organization. The details of the scandal escape me. (Something to do with using campaign money for a party for staffers...called it "Karlapaloosa". I'M NOT MAKING THAT UP!)

The scandal forced the head of the Young Republicans to lose his job...a job that paid about 38K a year.

38K a year for a youth organizer! In the Democratic party, most of the youth-organizer positions are volunteer. If you do get paid, it's barely enough to make rent at the end of the month.

If the Republicans can afford to pay youth-staffers this much...imagine what else they are able to afford. The Republicans are definitely not grass-roots, but they don't need to be. The fact that they are co-opting the term "grass-roots" shows how effective they are as driving the very language we use to have political discourse.

"President Bush's reelection team, anticipating another close election, has begun to assemble one of the largest grass-roots organizations of any modern presidential campaign, using enormous financial resources"

key words:
"Bush's reelection team assemble organizations
using enormous financial resources"

This is not grassroots

Moves in on your nice lawn and then you have to eliminate it to keep the crabgrass from taking over.