What Does 'GOP' Stand For?

(CBS)  The elephant - symbol of the Republican Party since 1874 - remembers that GOP stands for "Grand Old Party," but increasingly, the elephant is standing alone.

At least that's the thinking at The Wall Street Journal, which has decided to stop using the acronym to refer to the 148-year-old political party.

In an internal memo issued to staffers last week, Journal higher-ups said the term GOP will be dropped because not all readers know what the letters mean, and some may not realize that they are a reference to the Republican Party.

That doesn't mean that the time-honored letters will disappear forever from the pages of the prestigious financial newspaper.

Reporters and editors will still be allowed to use the term in a quotation, if someone else says GOP. But an explanation of the acronym will be provided for any readers who might be stumped.

That's according to Wall Street Journal spokeswoman Brigitte Trafford.

Confusing the readers isn't the only issue underlying the newspaper's decision. The text of the memo announcing the new policy hints that some readers might feel the name "Grand Old Party" is less objective than it might be.

"Because the short form may seem baffling (or even spin-doctored) to some new readers, we want to avoid its use in articles and headlines," says the memo. "Beginning in December, use it only in the direct quotations and then be sure to explain what GOP means. Even among people who know that GOP refers to the Republican Party, many may not know that it stands for Grand Old Party."

As for being an old party, the Republicans trace their roots back to the mid-1850s, while the Democrats say their party's earliest ancestor was a congressional caucus founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1792, which went through several forms before 1844, when it adopted the name still used today.

The Republican Party, on its official web site, points out that Grand Old Party - while certainly the accepted meaning for GOP, for many years - is not the original meaning, or even the only one.

The Republican National Committee says the acronym dates back to 1875, at which time it meant "Gallant Old Party." And in the early days of the automobile, it gained another popular, although ultimately fleeting, translation: "Get Out and Push" - the treatment early cars often needed.

Stalwarts of both Republican and Democratic party campaigns would, of course, tell you that "Get Out and Push" is the proper attitude when it comes to motivating voters.

So there's no Republican monopoly on that strain of GOP.

As for the elephant, its status as party symbol appears to be safe.

It dates back to a cartoon by legendary political cartoonist Thomas Nast, who in an 1874 issue of Harper's Weekly, depicted the Democrats as a donkey trying to scare a Republican elephant.

Win or lose, both symbols have endured.

[tpartier]

Gutless Obsequious Pigs

[leftyintexas]

GREED, Over People.

[BTS_OSU]

Gay Old Plutocrat!

[dzaffina]

Tea party stands for Tax Evading American Party aka TEAliban TEArrorists

[dzaffina]

GOP stands for Greedy One Percent. pun intended.

[dkjack]

GeezersOnProzac?

[foulolron69]

G.reed O.ver P.eople

[macthefloorguy]

GOP=Greedy old Prix, Grumpy Old Partisans,
Greedy old Party, there's so much more I could say.....

[lucci123]

GOP and Mitt Romney said that they understand middle class; however, middle class are the one that make the different on Mitt 13.9 % tax rate, middle class make the different on his tax when he put his money in offshore accounts to avoid paying tax rate here in U.S. Mitt Romney made hundred of million on the back of American workers and now he wants ordinary American people to pay the different on his tax. In fact, he's promoting to the public that when he becomes president, he should pay half of 13.9 % while ordinary American will pay more than today tax rate. Is Mitt Romney and GOP for ordinary American or they are on the side of their elites friends?

Do you know that we borrow China $700 billion dollars a year to pay for super rich tax cut, because this is what the GOP wants? Further, in the eyes of GOP, this $700 billion dollars do not drive federal deficit, but jobs growth. Where are the jobs creations from $700 billion dollars tax cut? According to Newt, we're still affected by 911. Isn't this more than 10 years ago? Apparently, Newt, Mitt, and GOP are still in denial or in a coma. Not too long ago, GOP & Bush brought down the U.S and global economy, and now they're an expert on fixing this?

GOP and Tear Party, please stop pretending like you care about federal deficit when you're the one that drive the federal deficit sky rock--from two wars that unpaid for and borrow $700 billion dollars a year from China to pay for super rich tax cut that they don't need.
Warren Buffett told ABC that his secretary's Debbie works just as hard as he does and she pays twice the rate he pays. He thinks that's outrageous. However, GOP think working people like Debbie tax rate in compare to the super rich is fair. It's like Sadam Hussein saying that he loves his people.

[bileven]

Sadly, you use partial facts and exaggerations to justify a position.

Where as, he has provided his tax return, it is bladent exaggeration to think he is alone, or that Democrats are any different. You don't have to look any further than William Clinton and his financial prosperity since being President... He had foreign investments galore.

As for the borrowing $700 billion, we have been borrowing 2 times the GNP for the terms of the last 3 Presidents. Ever since Clinton used his political clout to get NFTA signed, and repeal the "Glass-Steagall Act" (which is the #1 cause of the Financial Crisis, but both political parties don't want you to know).

The difference from the tax breaks for those making in the 1% are less than $700 Billion... The tax breaks to Import goods is, though 4 times that amount...

But you go ahead and hate your fellow American, they love that you don't have a clue. After all, it's better for them, the politicians.

Simple fact, the Republicans have just as much vested interests in the middle class, if not more than the Democratic Party. The Democrats want to make it all Government funded services and remove any incentives to get off the couch to work. At least the Republicans know that without the Middle class, they have no work force, no body to keep the cogs in motion, while they manage.

[dj_chi]

bileven - you skipped over a few facts yourself. Foreign investments alone isn't a bad thing. If it was, most every corporation could be shamed for owning assets in China, Europe or where ever. The issue is that Romney offshores his money to dodge taxes, and now says he's the champion of American values. Sure, he's not the only one, but he's running for President and he's using others' bad practices to provide cover for his own. That just doesn't hold.

And you tie Clinton to repealing Glass-Steagall. Sure, Clinton takes responsibility for signing it. But let's not forget that he bought into the hype that banks needed it to remain competitive in a changing industry. And who pushed that hype? Who wrote the bill he signed? The GOP - you do know the act Clinton signed was named for the three GOP Congressmen behind it, right?

Then you went and passed off a overly generalized statement about the Dems wanted everything government funded - classic GOP fear mongering that the Dems are about socialism and the GOP is for capitalism. After what, six decades of GOP fear mongering on that point, it's not more true today than back then - and it certainly doesn't chill people like when the USSR was the bogeyman. The Dems know you can't run everything thru the government - but they also know that business running unchecked leads to environmental contamination, bank foreclosures with shoddy or made-up paperwork, imported produce sprayed with domestically banned toxins, ....

And let's not forget that the GOP runs on the platform of smaller government every election. And every GOP president - even Bush who had a very supportive GOP Congress for six years - has increased the size of government. The bumper sticker doesn't match the business plan with them. That hardly makes them any more reliable than the Dems - or committed to the middle class.

[left_and_proud]

Progressive economics is 'regressive'...
Progressive politics are 'fascist'...

Right wingers are cute.

Black is white. Up is down. In is out. Left is right. Hot is cold. Day is night.

Welcome to whacko-world ;-)

[retiredgustav]

George Orwell would be proud!

[protagonist01]

GOP stands for gang of patricians.

[left_and_proud]

Nice.

[brenro21]

Greedy old panderers.