Words used by politicians

[Mr Skeptic]

The website, http://capitolwords.org/ seems to have a database of all the words spoken by our politicians, allowing you to search who speaks what word the most, and a graph of when. Also for specific candidates, what word they use the most.

 

The word counts don't say whether they are speaking favorably or unfavorable about said word.

 

For example, it seems democrats like to talk about limbaugh (though republicans win with the word/name "rush"). Republicans like to mention Democrats, and Democrats like to mention Republicans.

 

Well, I'll leave you all to it. Who can find the most interesting one?

[insane_alien]

http://capitolwords.org/word/underwear/

 

Brian Dorgan, a democrat from north dakota says underwear 17 times more often than most (although only just over 4 times more often than republican tim walberg from MI, not sure on the two letter state codes.)

 

brian dorgan also mentions towel 10 times more than the nearest competitor. perhaps he is a hitchikers guide to the galaxy fan.

[Pangloss]

Well it's going to be hard to top IA, but how about some words we'd like politicians to be able to use but they don't seem capable of understanding, much less using coherently in a sentence? I just picked a few "sciencey" words at random from our own thread subject listings and plugged them in with the following results:

 

- "macromolecules" - 2 uses from late 2002, undocumented

 

- "lysozyme" - 0 uses

 

- "subatomic" -- 1 use in 2008, 6 uses overall, all from one Democratic representative from California's 14th, which includes Silicon Valley

 

- "hydroxide" -- 6 uses in the last couple of years! Ah, but all from Bob Casey of PA, who sits on the alternative energy committee

 

- "electrolysis" -- Interesting... apparently a popular word used by Senator Larry Craig, known mainly as "the senator who got caught with another man in a bathroom stall". Kinda makes you wonder, don't it? Or maybe not.

[D H]

The truth is out there, and Trent Franks (R-AZ) likes it a *lot*, more than three times as much as does Chris Dodd (D-CT). Franks also likes innocent unborn children, whereas Dodd likes health care as the top issue of the day.

 

Politicians in general like the truth a whole lot better than lies. That of course is because politicians never lie.