Three years later, the weaponization of words by the right became standard operating procedure when House minority whip Newt Gingrich released a widely distributed memo, “Language: A Key Mechanism of Control,” so that his fellow Republicans could copy Gingrich’s belligerent rhetorical style. The memo listed “words to memorize,” calibrated to sanctify Republicans while dehumanizing Democrats. Make these words stick to your opponents—decay, sick, unionized bureaucracy, greed, corruption, radical, permissive, bizarre—the memo recommended, and watch them lose.
