More "left coast" thoughts

[jester at PANIX.COM]

I've just looked through a very large number of citations for
"left coast" courtesy of a big database. Every one I looked at
used the term to refer to California.

It is possible that there is a political sense in which "left
coast" refers to Washington, D.C. However I find it hard to
believe that the use is that widespread--perhaps it is, but
the evidence isn't available to me.

The possibilities as I see it are that (as I first suggested)
the original quotation represents an awkwardly written attestation
of the 'West Coast' sense; or that the quotation really does
attest _Left Coast_ 'East Coast'. Presumably the matter could
be cleared up with a phone call from Mr. Safire to the writer
of the article in question.

Jesse Sheidlower
OED