Guest post from contributor Jim Epstein
The Newton Democratic City Committee’s official online Invitation to its “Ward 6 Dems Holiday Party” occurring Sunday December 1, features among other notables the presence of Mayor Fuller and Newton City Councillors at Large Jake Auchincloss and Becky Grossman, both being candidates for Congressman Kennedy’s House seat. The invitation is directed to Democrats as being a “Democratic fiesta”.
The invitation then concludes with the following: “Come to celebrate the last holiday season in which a savage occupies the White House. As one sign says, “I will vote for anyone normal, Anyone!!!””
While that concluding remark on the official Holiday Party Invitation might seem acceptable for partisan Democrats, some might question those words in connection with the announced featured presence of City Councillors and Mayor as being inconsiderate, if not inappropriate for non-partisan office holders serving many (albeit a minority within the City) Republican or Trump supporting constituents.
Do readers deem it proper for the Mayor and Councillors Auchincloss and Grossman to disassociate themselves from the remarks as being offensive to some within the community?
UPDATE: The Boston Herald published a story about this kerfuffle on Tuesday
City Committee chairwoman Barbara John says “I support the use of that word.”
“Shawn Fitzgibbons, chairman of the Newton Democratic City Committee, called John’s use of the word “inappropriate.”
“We do not condone in any way, shape or form the use of words that have racist overtones to them,” he said.
This is a rare occasion where we agree 100%. The final sentence is inappropriate under any circumstances, let alone when city officials are invited. It is absolutely embarrassing and I honestly hope it doesn’t make it to the national news sphere.
No matter what, next December Trump will still be in office (bar unforeseen circumstances). His current term does not expire until 1/20/21. For a supposedly political group, their grasp of the US Constitution appears to be a little weak.
Can you imagine if The Newton Republican City Committee made a remark like that about Obama? They would be condemned by the city as being racist!
I think it is terrible and demeans the office of the president. Any elected officials who attended that event should be ashamed. Our officials represent all of us! Have some respect!
This is America–let them write whatever they want! Trump is an idiot who can’t speak in complete sentences and frequently misspells elementary-school vocabulary words. Sorry if any of you find that hurtful.
What bothers me more is the hubris. Don’t Newton Democrats realize how easily Trump could win reelection? Especially if the party nominates a know-it-all revolutionary like Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders.
Let’s not forget the POTUS himself has frequently used offensive language. Trump has demeaned the office.
I don’t recall any Newton Republicans calling Trump out for his offensive language and I’m not a Democrat!
Any Newton Republicans supporting the more rational and intelligent Bill Weld?
Yes, that was very inappropriate no matter what one’s political affiliation – especially for a holiday party.
Peter,
To add to your point, Mr. Trump used the exact same term to describe multiple Democrats few months ago.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/28/politics/trump-attacks-schiff-nadler-house-democrats/index.html
It should be at least equally outrageous to Trump supporters if a Newton politician associated with Trump… right?
It was a childish remark, but it’s hard to be offended by that when we have a president who spews vitriol, sexism, racism, and remarks that are at the maturity level of Pee-wee Herman. Comments like this don’t demean the office of the president; Trump has done that all on his own.
@MMQC – I don’t think the comments demean the office. I think they demean the people who made them. I’m a left-leaning independent who detests trump, but stooping to his level just makes those who do it look bad.
My comment was directed at Sande’s.
Ah. I thought the objection was going to be to the word “holiday” to describe the party. So much umbrage to take, so little time. Did anyone here actually go to the event? I couldn’t be there, and I’m curious about how the candidates did. Several very impressive young folks running, one dimwit invitation notwithstanding.
he six candidates running for Joe Kennedy’s Congressional seat will be there to smooze and to tell you a little about themselves.
“smooze” ??
Schmooze
Sande, no, it’s not like attacks against Obama. Stop normalizing this presidency. Just stop.
Those who can’t condemn this president are the ones who should be ashamed. It shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It’s sad that it is.
Happy Holidays.
I mean, it’s not wrong, is it? The definition of savage is a brutal or vicious person – that pretty much sums up our current president.
Per today’s Herald article update, I can understand objection to use of the word “savage”, but is that a racial slur, as the Newton Democrat* Committee Chair implies, if not states, is what makes the term objectionable? to whom, Native Americans?
*The article should be corrected as the proper term, in its usage, is “Democrat”, not “Democratic”.
@Jim Epstein – Not sure why you say that’s wrong.
From their website:
Jerry,
Wikipedia says, for example, according to Oxford Dictionaries, the use of Democrat rather than the adjective Democratic “is in keeping with a longstanding tradition among Republicans of dropping the –ic in order to maintain a distinction from the broader, positive associations of the adjective democratic with democracy and egalitarianism.”
In any event, Democrat is the name of the party, not Democratic.
One does not say I am a Democratic. One says I am a Democrat, just as one says I am a Republican.
And if one asserts that the word “Democratic” is merely an adjective in saying “Democratic City Committee”, we don’t say Newtonian City Council, we say Newton City Council.
Jim,
The name of the party is the Democratic Party. Members of that party are called Democrats.
“Democratic Party” is a proper name. Specifically, it is the name that the founders of the party chose to give it when they established it back in the 19th century. They formally adopted the name “Democratic Party” as the one and only name for the party at a party convention in 1844, though it was the name commonly in use for the party since 1828. They did not name it the “Democrat Party” they named it the “Democratic Party”. The Democratic Party is a privately founded organization that chose its own name. “Democratic” is not an adjective in this context. It’s part of the proper name of the party.
Beginning in the second half of the twentieth century, conservatives began using the term “Democrat Party” as a pejorative term to refer to the Democratic Party. It’s meant insultingly, as a diminutive form of the party name.
It’s not much of an insult to me; it’s more of an annoyance such as when some people insist on calling me Martha when I changed my name many years ago and prefer Marti.
@Jim Esptein – Sounds like some twisted pedantry to me. We call it the Jewish Defense League, the Italian Consulate, etc.
In any case suggesting that a newspaper use anything other than the organization’s official name to avoid “positive associations”is a wildly partisan idea.
Marti,
Democratic is an adjective. Democrat is a noun (a proper noun).
Republican is both an adjective and a noun.
In other words, while the word Republican can be either a noun or an adjective, Democrat has distinctive noun and adjective forms.
So, Marti, I do stand corrected (and thank you) for usage of Democratic as the official adjective for the party or a member thereof, and Democrat for the noun for the party or a member thereof.
So if the Democrats prefer to use an adjective before Committee, then I guess they can, and I’ll accede to Jerry on that (and thank you) as well.
The Boston Herald loves to tweak the Democratic Party and certainly jumped at a chance to do so here. I don’t remember their editorial board being previously concerned about racism or civility in political discourse. Perhaps they are turning over a new leaf, which would be nice.
By the way, why on earth is Jim Epstein now an author on this otherwise fine blog.
Happy Holidays everyone.
Hi Shawn:
Regarding Jim, the blog now permits guest posts. I think you send the post to Jerry and he posts in your name.
Jim and I go back and forth quite frequently, but if he is posting on local events and following the rules, why on earth can’t he afforded the same opportunity as anyone else, using your turn of phrase? This isn’t a political blog, it is a Newton community blog. I’d rather it take a very welcoming attitude for all viewpoints, Newton related.
Now if he posts about Trump again or compares something local to Trump, I retract my defense. 😉