xmlns:og='http://ogp.me/ns#'. The Digibandit: Feb 8, 2010

Monday, February 08, 2010

Sarah Palin - Demagogue

Demagogy (also demagoguery) (Ancient Greek δημαγωγία, from δῆμος dēmos "people" and ἄγεινagein "to lead") is a strategy for gaining political power by appealing to the prejudices, emotions, fearsand expectations of the public—typically via impassioned rhetoric and propaganda, and often using nationalist, populist or religious themes.


  • The early 20th century American social critic and humorist H. L. Mencken, known for his "definitions" of terms, defined a demagogue as "one who will preach doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots."

Though this definition emphasizes the use of lying and falsehoods, skilled demagogues often need to use only special emphasis by which an uncritical listener will be led to draw the desired conclusion themselves. Moreover, a demagogue may well believe his or her own arguments (for example, there are good reasons to assume that Adolf Hitler--certainly one of the most successful demagogues in history—sincerely believed his own anti-Jewish diatribes).


What we ALL need is to critically observe Sarah Palin communicating her positions -in some depth - on the critical issues of the day with say a David Gregory or George Stephanoupolis - or Jim Lehrer.


Performing her demagoguery) to a group of Tea Party idiots is just like spreading manure -it may stick -but it just plain stinks!