11.01.08
My clause are out
A little while back, I wrote of an instance of Freudian grammar, quoting a news report in turn quoting John McCain: “Asked if Gov. Sarah Palin has become a drag on his ticket, McCain said, ‘As a cold political calculation, I could not be more pleased.’” McCain’s placement of the introductory clause seems to identify himself as a cold political calculation, which was, I’m sure, not his intent. Though what indeed is the cold calculation? The decision-making behind the selection? The analysis of the decision-making (as in, “If I were now making a cold calculation of the selection . . ”.)? Or the person that was selected?
Granted, I present the latter choice as a cynical joke, but then again, let’s listen to the subject of the discussion—Sarah Palin herself—fall into the same grammatical trap with perhaps even stronger Freudian overtones:
After being found guilty on seven felony counts, I had hoped Senator Stevens would take the opportunity to do the statesman-like thing and erase the cloud that is covering his Senate seat.
I was alerted to this by a Fritinancy post, which eloquently addresses the subject of dangling clauses, particularly Palin’s. Read and enjoy.
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