[Ads-l] "Alternative facts" for EOTY

Laurence Horn laurence.horn at YALE.EDU
Tue Jan 24 19:06:01 UTC 2017


If it really is a belief he has and maintains, it’s not a lie.  Just a falsehood.  YMMV.

LH

> On Jan 24, 2017, at 2:00 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> Sean Spicer explains officially that  Mr. Trump's knowledge of massive
> voter fraud perpetrated against him comes from "studies and information
> that he has. ...It's a belief he maintains."
> 
> 
> JL
> 
> On Tue, Jan 24, 2017 at 1:21 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> The point, Ben, is that it *is* on the Fox News site.
>> 
>> JL
>> 
>> On Tue, Jan 24, 2017 at 1:20 PM, Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> That's a syndicated Associated Press report, even if it's on the Fox News
>>> site.
>>> 
>>> On Tue, Jan 24, 2017 at 1:03 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com
>>>> 
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Fox News reports on the President's documentation of the size of his
>>> crowd:
>>>> 
>>>> http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/01/21/fact-check-trump-
>>>> overstates-crowd-size-at-inaugural.html
>>>> 
>>>> JL
>>>> 
>>>> On Tue, Jan 24, 2017 at 12:25 PM, Joel Berson <berson at att.net> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> "Fact"?
>>>>> 
>>>>> Joel
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>>      From: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
>>>>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2017 9:28 AM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [ADS-L] "Alternative facts" for EOTY
>>>>> 
>>>>> Perh. cf. the threads on "fact" = 'nonfact.'
>>>>> 
>>>>> PS: Madonna uses the F-word. Stop the presses!
>>>>> 
>>>>> JL
>>>>> 
>>>>> On Tue, Jan 24, 2017 at 8:59 AM, Laurence Horn <
>>> laurence.horn at yale.edu>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>>> Oops, sorry, Stephen.  I failed to notice your message before I
>>> posted
>>>>>> similarly just now.  And of course, there’s also the point that the
>>>>>> “lie”/“not really a fact” in question below was the same one being
>>>>>> referenced today, about the millions of illegal immigrants who voted
>>>> (as
>>>>>> proved by the facts “people believe they have...to back that up”)
>>> just
>>>> to
>>>>>> deny Trump the landslide popular vote victory he richly deserved.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> LH
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> On Jan 24, 2017, at 5:00 AM, Stephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Whatever Conway meant, it reminded me of a Trump supporter,
>>> Scottie
>>>>> Nell
>>>>>> Hughes, on the Diane Rehm Show last Nov. 30. Below is part of the
>>>>>> transcript. The context is available at
>>>>>>> http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2016-11-30/how-
>>>>>> journalists-are-rethinking-their-role-under-a-trump-presidency
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> [....]
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> *
>>>>>>> 10:22:31
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> HUGHESWell, I think it's also an idea of an opinion. And that's
>>> -- on
>>>>>> one hand I hear half the media saying that these are lies, but on
>>> the
>>>>> other
>>>>>> half there are many people that go, no, it's true. And so one thing
>>>> that
>>>>>> has been interesting this entire campaign season to watch is that
>>>> people
>>>>>> that say facts are facts, they're not really facts. Everybody has a
>>>> way,
>>>>>> it's kind of like looking at ratings or looking at a glass of
>>> half-full
>>>>>> water. Everybody has a way of interpreting them to be the truth or
>>> not
>>>>> true.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> *
>>>>>>>   *
>>>>>>> 10:23:00
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> HUGHESThere's no such thing, unfortunately, anymore of facts. And
>>> so
>>>>> Mr.
>>>>>> Trump's tweet amongst a certain crowd, a large -- a large part of
>>> the
>>>>>> population, are truth. When he says that millions of people
>>> illegally
>>>>>> voted, he has some -- in his -- amongst him and his supporters, and
>>>>> people
>>>>>> believe they have facts to back that up. Those that do not like Mr.
>>>>> Trump,
>>>>>> they say that those are lies, and there's no facts to back it up.
>>> So...
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> [....]
>>>>>>> *
>>>>>>>   *
>>>>>>> 10:25:36
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> HUGHESBut because in many states you can mail things in, those
>>> were
>>>> --
>>>>>> so yes, there is facts to back up what I said and why Trump
>>> supporters
>>>>>> believe it. You are wrong, sir. [....]
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



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