Election Speeches: Getting Rougher and Rougher?

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was recently at a campaign rally in Wisconsin. He used some strong words, like saying Elon Musk was acting like a certain not-so-nice word. He also joked about Trump being tired from losing. The crowd seemed to find it funny, not shocking. This isn't new; political speeches have been getting rougher. People like Trump and even Biden have used harsh language, both in public and private. Experts say this is part of a bigger change in how we talk in public. It used to be a big deal if someone said bad words by accident. Now, it's almost normal. Politicians are using harsh words more often. For example, an ad from Elon Musk's group called Vice President Kamala Harris a bad name, sort of. It was a joke, but it was still not nice. Barbara Perry, a professor, says this is because our public talks have been getting rougher. Derrick Green, another expert, says what we think is okay to say has changed. Words that were bad before are now okay.

Trump is a big part of this change. He used bad words a lot, even when he was president. Remember when he said a bad word about some countries? This didn't seem to hurt him in the polls. People still like him. He also changed how politicians act. They don't have to look or sound professional all the time. Female politicians are a bit different. They don't use bad words as much. They might use them in private, but not in public. Kelly Dittmar, a political science professor, says women are held to higher standards. They don't want to seem unprofessional. But there are exceptions. Gretchen Whitmer and even Harris have used some strong language. So, is this a good or bad thing? That's up to you to decide. It's just different now. Politicians can say things that they couldn't before. It's like the last thing that both sides agree on.

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