To Be Clear

Voters and (far less acceptably) media pundits regularly confuse two very key adjectives. Let's review:

liberal (adj) - Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded; favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.

partisan (adj) - Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause: partisan politics.

These two words are neither synonyms nor related. One may be liberal but not particularly partisan (Bill Moyers), partisan but conservative (Harry Reid), or liberal and partisan (Ted Kennedy). The current GOP is principally partisan, not ideologically coherent. George Bush is hated by liberals not because he is conservative (like Ron Paul), but because he is visciously partisan in everything he does. Hillary Clinton is running as a partisan, but not particularly liberal Democrat, while Barack Obama runs as a liberal with less fidelity to the Democratic Party.

It is clear that few in the media understand the distinction or, if they do, care much about making it. For pinheads like Chris Matthews, they are perfectly synonymous. My rant over a pet peeve concluded, I leave you to your day.

Polarization, An Alternate Definition

Andrew Sullivan quotes Mystery Pollster Mark Blumenthal, whose analysis of post-speech reaction went like this:

Both polls show similarly strong polarization, with most Republicans favoring a troop surge, and most independents and Democrats in opposition.

This is a rather slack-jawed frame, don't you think? Independents and Democrats represent two-thirds of the American public. Some might call that a large majority. The Republicans represent a recalcitrant minority, unable to accept reality and willing to go down with whatever ship George W. Bush captains.

The MSM have created what appears to be one of the most bulletproof memes in politics--that because the Republican core are barking mad and no one else in America agrees with them, this is an example of polarization. Actually, it means that the majority of the country is sane. This apparently excludes the MSM.

(And Blumenthal's a liberal.)