'Flip Flop' Barely Trailing Abu Ghraib 'Abuse' in May's PQ Index Points to Kerry's Dilemma

The term 'abuse' directly relating to the Abu Ghraib prison crisis has bested 'Flip Flop at the top of the Global Language Monitor's May PQ Index (Political-sensitivity Quotient). This remarkable rise in the midst of scandal, points to Kerry's present predicament.

Danville, CA (PRWEB) May 21, 2004 -- The term 'abuse' directly relating to the Abu Ghraib prison crisis has bested 'Flip Flop at the top of the Global Language Monitor's May PQ Index (Political-sensitivity Quotient). (http://www.globallanguagemonitor.com)

Paul JJ Payack, President of the Global Language Monitor said, Though the Abu Ghraib 'Abuse story is exploding and in spite of all this bad news for the Administration, 'Flip Flop and its many variations are gaining in strength.

"Three rather interesting conclusions can be gleaned from these numbers," Payack continued,

·1) the Abu Ghraib story is exploding;

·2) Kerry is not gaining traction from it; and

·3) The calls for Rumsfeld's resignation are growing, but from an already significant base".

The PQ Index May 2004

The top ten words and phrases now being tracked by the GLM:

1. Abuse (Torture) -- Abu Ghraib Scandal Bursts upon world consciousness and conscience.

Comment: Phenomenal surge in media of all types. (Last month: Not Listed.)

2. Flip Flop -- Jay Leno best sums up the dilemma: future president would deliver both State of Union, and rebuttal.

Comment: Remarkable rise in the midst of scandal; 'flip flop' gaining traction shows Kerry's predicament. (Last month: Not Listed.)

3. Resign (Resignation) -- Calls for Rumsfeld's to resign were present BEFORE current crisis.

Comment: Only modest rise in key indicator. (Last month: Not Listed.)

4. Incuriosity -- President characterized as 'incurious' by critics.

Comment: Fell nearly 50% after a meteoric rise. (Last month: No. 1.)

5. Quagmire -- Double the citations for Iraq 'quagmire' than VietNam.

Comment: More than 120,000 references vs. about 60,000. (Last month: No. 2.)

6. Misleader -- A favorite of the Anti-bush faction.

Comment: 2/3 of all media usages are linked to Bush. (Last month: No. 9.)

7. Steadfast -- A favorite description by W's supporters: steadfast stalwart.

Comment: Used to describe Mr. Bush with increasing frequency. (Last Month: No. 10.)

8. Shock-and-Awe -- One of Top Phrases a year ago.

Comment: Media now more shocked than awed. (Last month: No. 8).

9. Rush to War -- Sparked the creation of the PQ Index.

Comment: Citations continue to build. (Last month: No. 7.)

10. Two Americas -- Rick and poor, liberal and NeoCons, etc.

Comment: Still resonating with the media. (Last Month: No. 3.)

Other words being tracked by GLM for the PQ Index include: 'embedded, 'war for oil,' 'global outsourcing,' and 'likability'.

About The PQ Index

The PQ Index is a proprietary algorithm that tracks politically sensitive words and phrases in the media and on the Internet. The words and phrases are tracked in relation to their frequency, contextual usage and appearance in global media outlets.

The Global Language Monitor (GLM) documents, analyzes and tracks trends in language the world over, with a particular emphasis upon Global English.

To find out more about the PQ Index go to http://www.GlobalLanguageMonitor.com.

About The Global Language Monitor

The Global Language Monitor analyzes, tracks, and catalogues the latest trends in word usage and word choices, and their impact on the various aspects of culture, with a particular emphasis upon Global English.

The GLM is supported by a worldwide assemblage of linguists, professional wordsmiths, and bibliophiles to help monitor the latest trends in the evolution (and demise) of language, word usage and word choices, and their impact on the various aspects of culture.

For more information, call 1.925.367.7557, send email to info@globallanguagemonitor.com or visit Http://www.globallanguagemonitor.com.