Monday, October 31, 2005
"The WHIG Conspiracy" on Daily Kos
While not using the term WHIGgate, this post in the Daily Kos brings up the same point that we've been pushing since mid-July.
The full post is worth reading for the list of pros and cons of the name change from "the Plame Affair" to "the WHIG conspiracy", for the poll about the name's suitability to the current scandal, and for the reader comments.
My only disagreement with the writer of the post is their feeling about the "-gate" suffix:
I have a similar problem with the word "Conspiracy". I think it allows our opponents to dismiss everyone who talks about the WHIGs as "a conspiracy theorist," you know, that group that tends to have interesting theories about tinfoil-hatted gray aliens abducting Lee Harvey Oswald's twin from the grassy knoll.
In any case, we're in total agreement that the media has been extremely deficient in telling the story of the White House Iraq Group, and that Congress (except for a couple of members) has abdicated its constitutional responsibility to question the actions and lies of this White House.
¶ 10/31/2005 02:34:00 PM
[...]It was suggested that continuing with "Plame Affair" would minimize the damage to Bush by limiting it to a leak, which happens all the time in Washington, DC. Thus, a broader more encompassing name that demonstrates that Plame was part of a bigger picture in the selling of the war.
After reading the comments, the name that was suggested (and seemed to get a good deal of support) was The WHIG Conspiracy. [...]
My only disagreement with the writer of the post is their feeling about the "-gate" suffix:
[...]The meme avoids the redundant "-gate" suffix. In a post-Monicagate world, adding -gate to the end of this scandal could only serve to trivialize it in the public's mind. Though, just for the record, my personal favorite of any "-gate" suggestions I've read for what to call all this was "Wargate".
In any case, we're in total agreement that the media has been extremely deficient in telling the story of the White House Iraq Group, and that Congress (except for a couple of members) has abdicated its constitutional responsibility to question the actions and lies of this White House.
¶ 10/31/2005 02:34:00 PM
