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‘As Donald Trump staggers following a series of self-inflicted political wounds, Republican candidates up and down the ballot are expressing growing disinterest in hitting the campaign trail with him this fall.’

Scathing Online Schoolmarm reminds you to learn the difference between lack of interest and disinterest. The incorrect use of disinterest in this opening sentence of a Politico piece has its authors saying the opposite of what they mean. Not a good way to start an article.

SOS realizes that some dictionaries use, as a second definition for disinterest, the state of not being interested in something. But really she would argue that the first and only meaning of disinterest is the condition of being neutral about something.

The constant misuse of disinterested for uninterested is breaking down a very useful distinction of meaning.

To be uninterested is to be lacking in any sense of engagement with the matter:
Sallie is uninterested in algebra.

To be disinterested is to lack bias:
Let the company call in a disinterested mediator to settle the dispute.

Republican candidates are not neutral in regard to campaigning with Trump; on the contrary, they are strikingly biased against campaigning with him. They are “expressing a growing lack of interest in hitting the campaign trail” with him. They are not cool calm collected and above it all in the way of, say, a disinterested judge; they’re actively sweating at the prospect of being even remotely identified with Trump. They are the very opposite, in other words, of disinterested parties.

Margaret Soltan, August 2, 2016 6:19PM
Posted in: Scathing Online Schoolmarm

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3 Responses to “‘As Donald Trump staggers following a series of self-inflicted political wounds, Republican candidates up and down the ballot are expressing growing disinterest in hitting the campaign trail with him this fall.’”

  1. JackOH Says:
    August 2nd, 2016 at 6:55PM

    They’re missing the different meanings of the root “interest”, too. There’s “interest” as in “paying attention to”. I have an interest in watching sports.

    There’s “interest” as in “pecuniary or legal position or advantage”. I have an interest in the local football stadium.

    Hope I’m getting that right.

    The uninterest/disinterest thing bugs me.

  2. theprofessor Says:
    August 3rd, 2016 at 12:07PM

    Many Trump signs up in Mediocrevilleburgton, which is overall a Democratic stronghold, UD, and in nearly 100% Democratic neighborhoods where this is barely believable. Hillary signs? I saw a single one back during the primary. None since.

    It may be that eight years of the completely unqualified, pathologically narcissist, and malignantly incompetent godlet Obama has lowered the bar on what people are prepared to vote for.

  3. Margaret Soltan Says:
    August 3rd, 2016 at 12:15PM

    tp: Looks a little different in Maryland. Current polling on the 538 blog:

    Clinton 99.8 %
    Trump 0.1 %

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