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They Said What? Frequency of Words Used by the Parties

Fri, 09/05/2008 - 7:00am by CitizenSugar
1,011 Views - 156 comments

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?

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156 Comments Add a Comment

  • amybdk's picture
    amybdk
    1

    Wowzy wow wow! This is really cool, Citizen! Verrrry interesting indeed...

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • FoxyLoxy's picture
    FoxyLoxy
    2

    Cool!

    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.

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • FoxyLoxy's picture
    FoxyLoxy
    6

    Just ask our constitution choco! Smiling separation of church and state!

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • Michelin's picture
    Michelin
    8

    I 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.

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • Michelin's picture
    Michelin
    9

    Foxy,

    "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?

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • dreamsugar's picture
    dreamsugar
    10

    I 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.

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • FoxyLoxy's picture
    FoxyLoxy
    11

    Well, 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.

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • Michelin's picture
    Michelin
    13

    It 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.

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • hausfrau's picture
    hausfrau
    14

    I 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!

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • UnDave35's picture
    UnDave35
    15

    That'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.

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • FoxyLoxy's picture
    FoxyLoxy
    16

    It 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.

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • Adrenalynn75's picture
    Adrenalynn75
    17

    The US just reached the highest unemployment rate in our country in 5 years...it looks like jobs is big issue in America...hmmmm.....

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • dreamsugar's picture
    dreamsugar
    18

    I don't see Job's mentioned on the right -- oh wait -- there it is -- really small.

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • Michelin's picture
    Michelin
    20

    Foxy, 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.

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • dreamsugar's picture
    dreamsugar
    21

    Saying "Four more years" isn't fearmongering. It goes to fact and what we know about McCain -- he voted with BUSH 90% of the time.

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • CaterpillarGirl's picture
    CaterpillarGirl
    22

    *head explodes* Citizen can we make some bubbles on how many times the phrase "90% of the time" gets used by the McCain police.

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • dreamsugar's picture
    dreamsugar
    23

    Oh -- 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.

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • UnDave35's picture
    UnDave35
    25

    That 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?

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • FoxyLoxy's picture
    FoxyLoxy
    26

    It'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.

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • UnDave35's picture
    UnDave35
    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.
    Eye-wink

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • dreamsugar's picture
    dreamsugar
    29

    "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 Eye-wink

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • yesteryear's picture
    yesteryear
    30

    i 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.

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • UnDave35's picture
    UnDave35
    33

    Sounds like zombies, all saying the same thing, instead of thinking for themselves.. Eye-wink

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • lilkimbo's picture
    lilkimbo
    36

    I 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.

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • dreamsugar's picture
    dreamsugar
    37

    18 million people saying the same thing, wow thats powerful.............

    --
    Yeah -- I do what I can. Laughing out loud

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • lilkimbo's picture
    lilkimbo
    38

    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?

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • Adrenalynn75's picture
    Adrenalynn75
    39

    I wonder if any of those 80,000 jobs lost last month (600,000+ for the year) included low paid "community organizers
    ".....hmmmm....

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • KathleenxCouture's picture
    KathleenxCouture
    45

    "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

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • JenBrett's picture
    JenBrett
    46

    Who 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.

    12 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment