Democratic troubles revive debate over left-wing buzzwords

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From โ€œintersectionalityโ€ to โ€œequity,โ€ many say jargon is alienating key voters. But progressives say inclusive language is vital.

Maybe itโ€™s using the word โ€œoligarchsโ€ instead of rich people. Or referring to โ€œpeople experiencing food insecurityโ€ rather than Americans going hungry. Or โ€œequityโ€ in place of โ€œequality,โ€ or โ€œjustice-involved populationsโ€ instead of prisoners.

As Democrats wrestle with who to be in the era of President Donald Trump, a growing group of party members โ€” especially centrists โ€” is reviving the argument that Democrats need to rethink the words they use to talk with the voters whose trust they need to regain.

They contend that liberal candidates too often use language from elite, highly educated circles that suggests the speakers consider themselves smart and virtuous, while casting implied judgment on those who speak more plainly โ€” hardly a formula for winning people over, they say.

The latest debate is, in part, also a proxy for the bigger battle over what the Democratsโ€™ identity should be in the aftermath of Novemberโ€™s devastating losses โ€” especially as the party searches for ways to reverse its overwhelming rejection by rural and White working-class voters.

โ€œSome words are just too Ivy League-tested terms,โ€ saidย Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona). โ€œIโ€™m going to piss some people off by saying this, but โ€˜social equityโ€™ โ€” why do we say that? Why donโ€™t we say, โ€˜We want you to have an even chanceโ€™?โ€

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear โ€” who, like Gallego, is considered a potential 2028 Democratic presidential hopeful โ€” made a similar point.

โ€œI believe that, over time, and probably for well-meaning reasons, Democrats have begun to speak like professors and started using advocacy-speak that was meant to reduce stigma, but also removed the meaning and emotion behind words,โ€ Beshear said, citing such examples as using โ€œsubstance abuse disorderโ€ to refer to addiction.

โ€œIt makes Democrats or candidates using this speech sounding like theyโ€™re not normal,โ€ Beshear said. โ€œIt sounds simple, but what the Democratic Party needs to do is be normal and sound normal.โ€

Byย Naftali Bendavid

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