Although Newt Gingrich’s 1990 GOPAC pamphlet Language, A Key Mechanism of Control didn’t invent the technique of using positive and negative language, this basic list of words called the attention of propagandists to the power of this simple technique.
“Glittering generalities” (positive terms) like “common sense” and “freedom” were to be used to characterize right-wing Republican causes, while “Name-calling words” (negative terms) like “destroy” and “radical” were to connote the evil of “liberal” (another word on the list) causes. (List of positive terms and negative terms, from Propaganda Critic)
Certain terms changed valence in the 2008 election; “activist,” formerly a positive word, was used by Sarah Palin in her RNC convention speech (”community activist”) to trivialize Obama’s non-government experience. “Control” (formerly positive) and its synonyms are showing up in extremist diatribes claiming that the Democrats will deprive Americans of their freedoms.
A series of new terms arose from official and unofficial pro-McCain literature during the 2008 campaign to associate Democrats with Islamic terrorists: “Muslim,” “domestic terrorist,” etc. Now the relatively neutral terms “Shariah law” and “Shariah finance compliant” are being used to suggest that Western companies and leaders that promote jihadism by cooperating with Islamic finance laws. Expect to see increasing association of Shariah finance compliance with Obama (e.g. this post by Prophetic News), although the program was initially promoted by the Bush Treasure Department.
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