Dec.20

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GOP 49

The Word Cup, Part IX: Near Misses

On Thursday, we will begin revealing which slogans advanced to the knockout round. If you still want to cast your vote(s), you have until 11:00 p.m. PT on Wednesday:

• Part I: The Martial Spirit (write-up; ballot)
• Part II: Presidential Campaigns, Pre-Civil War (write-up; ballot)
• Part III: Reform (write-up; ballot)
• Part IV: Presidential Campaigns, from the Civil War to World War II (write-up; ballot)
• Part V: Reactionary Slogans (write-up; ballot)
• Part VI: Presidential Campaigns, from World War II to the End of the 20th Century (write-up; ballot)
• Part VII: The Fight for Equality (write-up; ballot)
• Part VIII: Presidential Campaigns, 21st Century (write-up; ballot)

Today, we thought we'd note some of the slogans that missed the cut. Some were considered in our original selection process, others were sent in by readers. In chronological order:

• Kill 'Em All and Let God Sort 'Em Out (1209): This one was suggested by reader D.M. in Fulton, MO. It began life more than 800 years ago as "Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius." That translates literally as "Kill them. The Lord knows those that are his own," but the slogan took on its modern form at least 100 years ago. In this revised form, it certainly captures one strain of American culture, namely the juxtaposition of religion with extreme acts of militarism.
  
  
• No Taxation without Representation (1770s): This one is very famous, but our view is that "Give me liberty or give me death!" is more so. Further, "Give me liberty" gets closer to the core motivations for the American Revolution than "No taxation" does. Although the dispute with Britain may have started with arguments over taxes, it quickly broadened to more substantive philosophical differences.
  
  
• Am I Not A Man and a Brother? (1787): J.M. in Stamford, CT, proposed this one, which began life in England, and was the work of potter, entrepreneur and abolitionist Josiah Wedgwood and his staff. It made its way to the United States, by way of Benjamin Franklin, who distributed medallions bearing the slogan among his abolitionist friends. That said, abolitionism remained an extreme minority position until well after the Civil War was underway.
  
  
• Rumpsey Dumpsey, Rumpsey Dumpsey, Colonel Johnson killed Tecumseh (1836): This one was used by Richard Mentor Johnson, who hoped to (and did) become Martin Van Buren's running mate. Running on one's skill at killing Natives would not fly today, but in 1836 the opposition was William Henry Harrison, who was also running based on his skill at killing Natives. In other words, it was a different time. L.T.G. in Bexley, OH, who sent this one in, writes: "It has poetry. It has history. It has verve. It even shows an enterprising expansion of the English language; as far as I know, no one before, or for that matter since, has used Rumpsey Dumpsey to such effect. (To be sure, 'Dumpsey' doesn't actually rhyme with 'Tecumseh,' but in the service of art surely some sacrifices may be made.) I hope this immortal couplet may at least be included in a (dis)honorable mention list."
  
  
• Remember Ellsworth! (1861): This was sent in by reader D.W. in Oxnard, CA. It's a reference to Elmer E. Ellsworth, who was the first Union officer to die in the Civil War, and served as a rallying cry for Union soldiers for the rest of the war.
  
  
• Lincoln and Liberty, Too! (1864): This might be the most famous Abraham Lincoln slogan, since it was also a song. But "The Union Must and Shall Be Preserved!" was more impactful, since that was the core message of the 1860 campaign that got him elected in the first place.
  
  
• Lips That Touch Liquor Must Never Touch Mine (1870): We gave serious consideration to a Prohibition slogan, but concluded that movement was only a short-term "success," since Prohibition was repealed after a little more than a decade. The other reform movements we chose to represent instead were longer-lasting.
  
  
• Blaine, Blaine, James G. Blaine, The Continental Liar from the State of Maine (1884): J.D. in Menlo Park, CA, argues: "[I]f not for this slogan, Blaine may have become President, having lost New York by only 1,047 votes. The only things I know about James G. Blaine are that he is from Maine and he is a 'Continental Liar.'"
  
  
• He Kept Us out of War (1916): J.L. in Paterson, NJ, observes: "I was surprised that 'He Kept Us out of War' didn't make the cut. Unlike the landslides of 1868 and 1924, the 1916 election was fairly close. Wilson took the popular vote by three percentage points and the electoral vote 277-254. Wasn't it important to his campaign that he appealed to voters who didn't want the U.S. involved in World War I? As a side note, it's my understanding that this impactful slogan was somewhat disingenuous; Wilson could already foresee that the U.S. would enter the war early in his second term."
  
  
• Black Power (1954): We really wanted to include this one, but we had room for two of three among "Black Power," "We Shall Overcome," and "Black Lives Matter," and chose in favor of the latter two.
  
  
• I've Upped My Game, So Up Yours (1968): Was there any greater political satirist in the second half of the 20th century than Pat Paulsen? Thanks to B.C. in Walpole, ME, for the reminder.
  
  
• My Body, My Choice (1969): This was one of the very last slogans to miss the cut; we debated back and forth between this one and #MeToo, and concluded that #MeToo shaped events, whereas "My Body, My Choice" was more a reflection of an already existing sentiment.
  
  
• ¡El Pueblo, Unido, Jamás Será Vencido! (1970): This one is courtesy of M.B. in San Antonio, TX, who adds: "Since you included a Spanish-language slogan (¡Si, se puede!), it should be pointed out that another Spanish-language slogan is even more powerful and widespread, though admittedly not in the U.S.: '¡El Pueblo, Unido, Jamás Será Vencido!' (The people, united, will never be defeated!) The slogan was part of Salvador Allende's 1970 campaign in Chile and subsequent presidency. It was turned into a song by the Chilean group Quilapayún, and covered by Inti Illimani, and thereafter became one of the most important anthems of the Nueva Canción movement in the following decades. It is still often heard through Latin America."
  
  
• Think Globally, Act Locally (1970s): We considered two environmentalist slogans, and the person who was present at, and involved in, the birth of the modern environmental movement (that would be V), determined that "There Is No Planet B" had a broader reach and a greater impact.
  
  
• Boots on the Ground (1980): This was first used by Gen. Volney F. Warner during the Iran hostage crisis, and then was redeployed regularly thereafter, commonly by neocons. H.F. in Pittsburgh, PA, who suggested this one, writes: "It was the widely used euphemism for sending U.S. troops to project force and bring about regime change in the Middle East. Of course, the boots were worn by our country's young men and women, thousands of whom were maimed or killed. Some were captured and tortured, and many were poisoned by toxic smoke from burn pits. Thankfully, this Orwellian phrase is no longer in use."
  
  
• Never Forget (2001): This one is memorable, but it's rather generic, such that we doubt most people actually associate it with the 9/11 attacks.
  
  
• Win The Future! (2012): This was Newt Gingrich's slogan during his 2012 presidential campaign. Was he being clever in appropriating the acronym "WTF"? Or did he just not realize? Either way, the slogan made him an object of ridicule. J.A. in Kansas City, MO, who sent this one in, suggests that it's at least as clumsy as "Jeb!"
  
  
• Build The Wall! (2016): Impactful, but largely redundant with, and certainly secondary to, "Make America Great Again."
  
  
• Lock Her Up! (2016): Ibid.
  
  
• Let's Go Brandon! (2021): This one looms large right now, perhaps, but will it be remembered in 10 years? In 5 years? We doubt it.

Clearly, this was a fruitful source for the contest, between these 20 slogans and the 32 that actually made the cut. (Z)