Daniel Conderman 
Once upon a time, you could tell a person’s politics by their bumper stickers. But in 2025, you don’t even need to see their car—just listen to them talk. The real divide in America isn’t red vs. blue, conservative vs. liberal. No, it’s about who cusses and who doesn’t.
The Rise of Public Cussing
For years, one side of the aisle took pride in their clean-cut, professional language. They corrected you if you said ‘ain’t.’ They avoided harsh words in speeches. They believed in the power of a well-structured sentence. But now? Now they’re cussing like a sailor on shore leave. It’s in speeches, on podcasts, in campaign ads. They’ve decided that a well-placed curse word is the key to sounding authentic, tough, and relatable.
Who’s Doing It?
Some of the biggest names in politics have embraced cussing like it’s a new campaign strategy. Take Elizabeth Warren—once known for her meticulous policy plans, now casually throwing in a ‘damn’ or ‘hell’ like she’s breaking in a new pair of boots. Or Beto O’Rourke, who turned cussing into an art form during his campaign stops, sometimes punctuating entire sentences with expletives. Even Barack Obama, once the master of polished, measured speech, has been caught dropping a casual swear in interviews.
Then there’s Rashida Tlaib, who made headlines not for her policies, but for her public, unfiltered cussing. Or Katie Porter, who swaps out her whiteboard for some colorful language when making a point. It’s a clear pattern—cussing isn’t just slipping through; it’s being used on purpose.
The Public Divide
Listen closely in a coffee shop, at the grocery store, or even in a work meeting. One group still speaks in a way that wouldn’t make their grandma blush. The other? They’ve decided that cussing makes them more ‘real.’
When someone says, ‘I’ll have a damn fine cup of coffee,’ they’re likely part of the new wave. If they say, ‘I’d like a strong coffee, please,’ odds are, they belong to the group that still keeps things clean.
Watch how people respond to frustration. One group still mutters ‘gosh darn’ or ‘this is ridiculous.’ The other goes straight for the heavy artillery. Even the phrase ‘Let’s go, Brandon’—a polite stand-in for a certain expletive—suggests that at least some people still prefer a coded approach.
What It All Means
Language shifts are cultural markers, and this one speaks volumes. The new cussing crowd has decided that ‘strong language’ makes them more relatable, more raw, more authentic. Cussing, once seen as unprofessional, is now a political tool—a way to say, I feel your pain.
So next time you hear someone dropping casual expletives in public, don’t just assume they’re having a bad day. They might just be making a political statement. And if someone opts for a ‘golly gee’ or a ‘bless your heart’? Well, you’ve probably found the other team.
