One of the great things for me about the coming election -- an election that I believe will leave the GOP flat on its ass and gasping for breath -- is that I will then have more opportunity to hammer Democrats. Until that holy work is done, until The Creature Who Ate John McCain is flushed down his own gutter to join the appalling Mr. Bush and all his appalling cronies, I feel I should mostly stick to beating on Republicans.

However. There's the DailyKos.

This one is going down to the wire, guys. And if you want to talk about crushing the GOP, eliminating their highest-ranking leader, and perhaps the only one left who can hold their coalition together, would be a stunner -- a true leadership decapitation.

No. Uh uh. Look, "Kos," I'm obviously as fond as anyone of dramatic, over-the-top language. But "eliminating their highest-ranking leader" and "decapitation?" These are terms that edge into military slash espionage language and imply killing. "Decapitation" is a term of art in the military for killing top members of an enemy regime. Killing.

If Republicans were using terms like that about Obama (and they are,) we'd all be screaming. It may be a fine line, and I've no doubt crossed it myself at some point, but that doesn't excuse using the language of assassination to talk about an American election. Smack 'em, screw 'em, fuck 'em up, kick their asses, whatever. But "eliminating" and "decapitating?" There's fun, and then there's creepy.

This entry was posted by Michael Reynolds, on Monday, October 20, 2008. You can leave your response.