Democrats use profanity to go viral. It won't persuade voters. | Opinion

Swearing is becoming increasingly accepted in American politics, not just among politicians but among party organizations and their official voices as well.

The official Democratic Party X account recently told Stephen Miller to "shut up you ugly f---." The post, which remains online, came in response to the White House deputy chief of staff trolling Senate candidate James Talarico by falsely claiming that the Texas lawmaker was transgender.

This isn't the only recent example of Democrats using profanity as a messaging strategy. Swearing, particularly use of the f-word, has become increasingly common in politics over the past decade. Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas both had viral moments built around it. The second Trump administration has accelerated the trend among Democratic opponents, though President Donald Trump himself has long contributed to the coarsening of political discourse.

The rise of profanity in politics is both a symptom of declining civic culture and a poor political strategy. Politicians who consciously make vulgarity part of their brand often come across as less authentic.

Swearing is a sign of declining political health

Politicians often swear because they think it makes them more relatable. By stepping outside the polished language typically associated with politics, they hope to sound more like the average voter.

In theory, it might be refreshing to hear politicians speak like ordinary Americans. But elected officials should aspire to be better at civil disagreement than the rest of us. When politicians resort to profanity, they reveal not only that they fall short of that standard, but also that they no longer seem interested in meeting it.

Profanity can also be used to dismiss ideas that don't warrant a serious response. In some cases, such as Miller's attack on Talarico, the impulse is understandable. But responding with vulgarity is still a choice. It means stepping into the gutter rather than simply refusing to engage with an argument that doesn't merit a serious reply.

The late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once quipped, "I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.”

In this case, neither side seems interested in making a political argument. Both have resorted to the language of the playground.

The Democratic Party's decision to respond to Miller with a profane personal insult might have matched his tone, but it also surrendered any claim to the high ground. Partisans may cheer it on, but mocking an opponent's appearance is unlikely to convince anyone who isn't already on your side.

Politicians curse to sound authentic. It often does the opposite.

Politicians and party officials often use profanity because they think it makes them seem more relatable. But carefully planned vulgarity rarely comes across as authentic. A curse word uttered in the heat of the moment is one thing. A profanity inserted into a prepared speech or approved for an official social media post is something else entirely.

Using vulgarity to own your opponents might earn applause from loyal partisans, but it does little to convince anyone outside your camp. If anything, it makes you look more like your opponent rather than an alternative to them, no matter how many retweets it earns from activists.

Many of these moments are intended to make politicians look tougher or more relatable, but they often have the opposite effect. The Democratic Party's response to Miller was not an off-the-cuff outburst. It was a deliberate message that almost certainly passed through some level of approval before being posted.

That's precisely why it falls flat. Profanity has its greatest impact when it is spontaneous and rare. When it is carefully planned and strategically deployed, it can come across as forced and even a little corny.

That was certainly the case here. Miller's trolling was ridiculous. The Democratic Party's response wasn't much better. Instead of making either side look strong, the exchange made both look immature.

Dace Potas is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY and a graduate of DePaul University with a degree in political science.