Posted August 24, 2008 10:25 AM
by Frank James
Eric Zorn, our fellow Tribune blogger, has a bone to pick with Sen. Joe Biden. It's not a literal bone though it is about the all-but-official Democratic vice presidential nominee's misuse of the word "literally."
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama's choice for running mate, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, used the word "literally" literally eight times in his speech Saturday afternoon, suggesting we're in for a metaphorical deluge of misuses of "literally" this campaign season...
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Comments
If Eric is half as tired of hearing "literally" as people are of hearing "P.O.W.", he's pretty tired.
The McCain campaign's fall back answer of P.O.W. to questions they can't or don't want to answer is an insult to P.O.W.s.
Posted by: Doug Zook | August 24, 2008 10:33 AM
You are worried about a hanging chad and we have men and women in uniform, in the Oil Fields of Iraq, getting killed and maimed, for the greed of the Oily Corps !! That' s a story you can really complain about !! Heck, give it a try !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | August 24, 2008 10:59 AM
We have all "been in" for the misuse of the words "my friend" by McCain for the last year. At least Biden is not trying to hose us with false familiarity like McShame does.
"WMDs". "Terorists". "9/11". "The Troops". "Bin Laden". "Axis Of Evil". "Mission Accomplished". "Emergency? War Funding". "HOMELAND Security". "Get Them There So They Don't Get Us Here". "The War on Terror?". "All Volunteer Army".--GWB Total. Lies. Total. Crap.
Posted by: Vivian | August 24, 2008 12:09 PM
Literally, hope, change, rock star, old, houses, race, there are a lot of words I'm tired of. I'm looking forward to Christmas and to just some cheap comercialization of the season, and a few carols, what a relief it will be!
Posted by: vla | August 24, 2008 12:27 PM
IIf Obama get elected- the make up of the white house will be-
Barrak"no nothing" Obama
"Short Answer Biden
Posted by: George | August 24, 2008 12:34 PM
Apparently the lesson that Biden "literally" learned from his failed '88 presidential run is that you need to speak 'literally' and not plagiaristically. Literally!
Posted by: ldgregg | August 24, 2008 2:48 PM
Eric Zorn needs to retire if he considers that "a bone to pick."
The record of Joe Biden is stuffed with overstatements, silly statements, and pompous statements.
Biden is all glands and no content. A poor choice in my view.
But John McCain could be his lost, unknown twin. McCain almost cannot open his mouth to say anything sensible.
He's always "a maverick," "a straight-shooter," and "a hero."
He is in fact none of these things.
Every time he has actually said something thoughtful, he backs off almost immediately, as with his 2000 comments on the Religious Right.
Most of his adult life has been spent getting angry at others, using some of the foulest language in Washington memory.
Posted by: JOHN CHUCKMAN, TORONTO | August 25, 2008 9:22 AM