Republican Party: The Nucular family...

Finally someone besides me and the much maligned (here anyway!) Keith Olbermann has noticed this! The first time I thought she'd said "nuc-u-lar" I rewound it to make sure I didn't misunderstand. I didn't. The other night when she said it about five or six times in a row I was yelling at my TV. For the record, it bugs me no matter WHO says it regardless of party and when someone does it in my presence I correct them. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those English professor types who go around correcting everyone's grammar and pronunciations but that's one that for some reason really irks me. To discuss a bit further about Sarah's unique way of talking - as far as politicians go, I mean - I'd like to defend myself a bit as to why she annoys me so. First, people have mentioned her accent and other people's accents and that's something I would never make fun of or criticize. I find accents very interesting and there are some I really love hearing because they're different from what I hear on a regular basis. I used to joke that we in the northeastern/central Pennsylvania region were the only ones without an accent but a few years ago while on vacation we got to talking with a guy who said, "You folks are from Pa., aren't you?" We asked how he knew and he said he could tell by our accents. Back to the topic - sorry about that - I'm certainly not someone who speaks perfectly at all times, far from in in fact. I drop my "G's" now and then and use slang on a regular basis. However, when I've been in situations where it seemed important to me to present myself well such as job interviews, discussions about business or financial matters or when I had to speak in front of my bowling league when they tricked me into being president I made it a point to speak as properly as I could without seeming to be "putting on airs". I've seen on TV about classes they have for college students to teach them how to speak properly in public, mostly regarding things like throwing in "you know" or "like" every two words but also about pronouncing words correctly and when I hear Palin speak I think about how many young people will have forgotten everything they ever learned about public speaking if she gets into office. I really don't mean to seem like I'm looking for things to pick on her about but I have to wonder if this is really the "real Sarah" or is she kind of looking down on all of us by speaking the way she does to connect with the "Joe six-packs" among us who never learned the right way to talk in public. I understand there will be those who disagree with me on this and you're darn right I'm ready for 'em, you betcha I am, but this pit-bull with lipstick can take it...lol! Annie

Even worse than that is how the Right Wing uses "intellectual" as an insult. What's wrong with having leaders with intellect?

I've had it with all the folksiness. I want an elitist presidency with a leader that isn't afraid to use lots of four dollar words (I can use a dictionary if I have to). I don't want the president and vice president to act like the next door neighbors. I want them to be smarter, better educated, better travelled, more articulate etc.

Man, If I ever run for public office, I'm done for. I don't say nucular but I have plenty of other dialect issues. I drop r's at the end of words like sure, t's in the middle of words like mountain, just to name a few quirks. It would be interesting to see polls based on geographic location in relation to the dialect and accents of politicians.

Oh, it can't just be one side, I've heard some funny things from both. I don't understand that whole mispronunciation deal anyway because aren't their speeches written by someone else AND aren't they coached how to make the speech anyway? They could even have teleprompters for all I know AFTER they have practiced outside the view of the public. Either way, NUCULAR is not a word but the way it is bandied about, all our kids will think it is and they'll all fail that word when it shows up on the weekly spelling test at school. While it's true that we are all human, if you're going to be on national tv or in front of huge groups of the public, come on, figure it out before you open your mouth and insert your foot. There's enough entertainment without making politics funny in a not-funny way. It makes people sound and look uneducated when you know they can't possibly be.

i have to agree with mechanicnot. i really don't see anything wrong with the way sarah palin acts. i think her "down home" thing is really her- she is a mom and wife and someone that most of us can relate to. i don't see her as putting on any kind of act or show.

I am not one to poke holes into politicians. Goodness knows we have enough of ours up here in Canada. But it seems that if a politician makes a faux paux you are all over him. So Palin mispronounced Nuclear as Nucular, is that a reason to not vote for her party or have her as vice president? Is McCain going to call her on the carpet and say "You're speech was all right, but you made one unforgivable error, you said Nucular instead of Nuclear, bad bad Palin!" or do you wish her to say to you, "sorry sorry I am so sorry" with tears in her eyes. I guess went over all her words and recorded the whole speech and played it back over and over again. Didn't you?

Has anyone ever listened to the way Jimma Cahtah butchers the word? I can't even spell it out phonetically.

No one is perfect - including ALL political candidates. I highly doubt that if I were required to make as many public appearances and speeches as they do, I would probably be stumbling all over myself. I personally like to thank that these people are human and as such, they will make mistakes.