Now that it's all done but sweeping up the balloons, the New York Times, ever the data-doyenne, has a different way of looking at who said what these conventions. Bubbles of varying sizes show the amount of times per 25,000 words uttered, that certain phrases were used.
Interestingly, the "opponent's name" count varies pretty wildly — the Democrats used McCain's name 78 times to the Republican's use of Obama a mere 25 times. Up there for both parties? "Change" and "God." While the Republicans were twice as godly, and the Democrats three times as change-y, it seems like both have see the benefit to grabbing both traditional and forward-thinking tropes.
The graph also let's you see who said what — Obama used McCain's name 3.5 times more, and McCain grabbed the "change" mantel from Obama just over half as often. Watching the two conventions, do any of the results surprise you? What do you make of the disparity between use of the opponent's name?
Schuh
Milano
Alberta Ferretti
Wowzy wow wow! This is really cool, Citizen! Verrrry interesting indeed...
1Cool!
In my opinion, the Repubs were more negative they just didn't use Obama's name, instead they used little smirks to get across that they were talking about him.
2Oh. And I love that hockey moms is included on this!
3LOL -- I smiled at "Hockey Mom" -- I'm loving what I see on the left
4"God" should not have a place in politics.
5Just ask our constitution choco!
separation of church and state!
6I wonder how many times times they said woman, abortion & gay....
7I think it's funny/interesting that that these lists are so similar.
Chocolatine, it's inevitable that "god" will have a place in politics because "god" has such a big place in people's lives.
8Foxy,
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"
At what point does that say that "god" can't have a place in politics?
9I was listening to Obama's speech last night and he said the words - Woman, abortion and Gay (& Lesbian rights). I don't remember hearing those words coming from the right - but I could be totally wrong -- I'd have to listen to the RNC speeches again but I just can't stomach it. I'm ready to move onto the debates.
10Well, of course they can talk about God! Just keep Populist Palin away from our constitution please. There are a lot more religions than just Christianity in this country.
11I think its more negative to keep bringing up BUSH myself.
12It seems as thought Senator Obama (and the Democrats) have a greater disregard for the Constitution than "Populist Palin" and the Republicans. At no point does the Constitution give the federal government the right to initiate a national health care system.
13I love these word things! Amazing that McCains name was said so much more than Obamas.
What is MOST interesting to me is that so many people on here claim that the right pushes the terrorism angle to get votes and yet both parties said the word the same amount of times! And Dems said Iraq, Iran, and 9/11 way more!
Kinda blows that theory out of the water!
14That's true Foxy, and they all worship a God. So God is a central figure in their lives as well, he just goes under a different name.
I like that Bush was mentioned 46 times, and he isn't even running. The democrats talked a lot about the republicans, and calling them by name (and calling them various names). It's too bad no one sees "Four more years" as fearmongering.
15It also doesn't give the right to:
Ban books from libraries.
or
Prohibit abortion.
or
Teach creationism in schools.
We could go all day with the specifics.
16The US just reached the highest unemployment rate in our country in 5 years...it looks like jobs is big issue in America...hmmmm.....
17I don't see Job's mentioned on the right -- oh wait -- there it is -- really small.
18I dont see Business on the left (which provide jobs) oh wait there it is really small.
19Foxy, I agree. But on that note, prohibiting abortion was a STATE effort before Roe v. Wade. Under the Constitution, states were granted the power to make decisions in this regard. The Supreme Court took that right away.
And the Constitution didn't give the Federal government the right to set up schools at ALL! So unless you're willing to admit that a mandatory, federal schooling system is unconstitutional, then creationism is a moot point.
20Saying "Four more years" isn't fearmongering. It goes to fact and what we know about McCain -- he voted with BUSH 90% of the time.
21*head explodes* Citizen can we make some bubbles on how many times the phrase "90% of the time" gets used by the McCain police.
22Oh -- yeah -- they talked about BIG Business -- and the people they would give the most tax breaks too -- got me there. Economy is all pretty small.
23Oh you mean like TAX breaks for Big BUSINESS...hmmm?
24That may be correct Foxy, but a national healthcare system will either bankrupt this country through a deficit, or tax the "common" man into the poorhouse. It will also give industries a very good reason to not offer health insurance, because you can get it through the government now, so why should such-and-such company pay 10's of thousands of dollars to pay for half of my employee's health ins., when they can get it vor "free" from the government?
25It's true though cat!
mich, i was just trying to show that getting into specific things that aren't in the constitution is pointless and could go on and on. I am just *personally* opposed to populist-like ideas and don't think people should be able to ban what I read in a library.
26Mccain Police reporting for duty.
27"Citizen can we make some bubbles on how many times the phrase "90% of the time" gets used by the McCain police."
They can't. The bubble would be too big.
28"Citizen can we make some bubbles on how many times the phrase "90% of the time" gets used by the McCain police."
They can't. The bubble would be too big.
--
So very true if over 18 million people are saying it
29i find this very interesting... but it's like the ultimate soundbite - ZERO context. therefore, it's not really safe to draw any conclusions based on numbers alone.
30dream...LOL!
3118 million people saying the same thing, wow thats powerful.............
32Sounds like zombies, all saying the same thing, instead of thinking for themselves..
33I agree, yy.
34Zombies -- funny we feel the same
35I also think the 90% of the time is a HUGE soundbite that doesn't actually evaluate McCain's positions at all. I guess it's easier to keep citing a statistic than to list actual policy areas in which McCain and Bush agree.
3618 million people saying the same thing, wow thats powerful.............
--
37Yeah -- I do what I can.
I find it interesting that how many people believe something is used as an argument. Over half of the country believed Bush was the best choice for president in 2004. Does that make them right?
38I wonder if any of those 80,000 jobs lost last month (600,000+ for the year) included low paid "community organizers
39".....hmmmm....
They also believed it in 2000
40Adrena -- LOL
41A verb analysis would have been more interesting
42or adverbs?
43or the use of "uh" or "um" do any of the use the ever popular "like"
44"God" should not have a place in politics.
Actually our country was founded on religion and it has been prevalent in our nation ever since. I think it has just as much the right to be in a speech as anything else
45Who says 18 million people aren't thinking for themselves? Just b/c someone shares the same opinion doesn't mean they didn't come to that opinion on their own.
46sorry i was quoting that first sentence haha
47This is cool, but of course the Republicans used God the most.
48if Mccain would explain his policies, maybe we'd have a better understanding of what they are. All I've seen is cut taxes for wealthy.... that doesn't sell me. Republicans, why do you agree with cutting taxes for the wealthy and not for the middle class?
49Foxy, have you not been paying attention to McCain at all? Look at his website. Read his speeches. Read a transcript from the Saddleback event. McCain has explained his policies multiple time and it doesn't take much digging to find his explanations.
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