There is nothing cute about directing vulgarities at the president of the United States, even when such vulgarities are done in code.
It’s disappointing, therefore, that some Republican lawmakers are embracing the “Let’s Go Brandon” slogan, which actually stands for ‘F*** Joe Biden.’”
How that translation came to pass is a quirky story. During a post-race interview at a NASCAR event in early October, the crowd behind the winning driver, Brandon Brown, began to chant the politically motivated obscenity. The television reporter conducting the live interview had trouble understanding what the crowd was saying and suggested on air that it was, “Let’s go, Brandon.”
Voila! The anti-Biden forces, including some in Congress, thought the misunderstanding was hilarious and have adopted the slogan to be disrespectful to the Democratic president without offending their grandmothers or the broadcast censors.
Adopting a euphemism is certainly better than saying the real thing, but it still underscores the coarseness that has infected American politics. It’s as if those in office and those who support them have lost the capacity to be civil.
Disagree with whoever is in the White House, that’s fine. But the weight of the office entitles every president to at least a modicum of respect.
- The Greenwood Commonwealth
