Dr. Word asks, Are “shiny objects” the new “distractions”?

by David Safier

Dr. Word read on TPM that twice on CNN’s State of the Union, RNC Chair Reince Priebus called Dem issues "shiny objects."

RNC Chair Reince Priebus on Sunday argued that it’s no big deal that presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney has sought an extension for filing his 2011 tax return, calling the issue a ”shiny object” that Democrats may use to distract attention from the economy.

and . . .

"[The Buffett Rule] is a shiny object that Barack Obama wants the country to look at."

Mr. Priebus, whose leaden tongue recently compared The War on Women to The War on Caterpillars, seems to have come up with a better term this time. He liked it so much, he used it on two different issues in the same interview, a mistake which either indicates he heard others use it and decided to adopt it himself, or he was told by his handlers, "If you can't think of an argument against something, call it a 'shiny object.'"

A quick google search leads to the probable conclusion Priebus or his handlers coopted the term from progressive commentators. On the Mother Jones website, blogger Kevin Drum called the Hillary Rosen jab at Ann Romney "a brand new shiny object" in a post titled, Our Shiny New Shiny Object Economy. And another blog, Under the Mountain Bunker, has a post titled Joy Behar and the GOP’s newest Shiny Object.

It is either a compliment to progressives that Republicans are adopting their phrases or a sign Republicans are on the defensive, which they haven't been for years, and are desperate to find phrases, any phrases, to contain the damage. To Dr. Word's ear, "shiny objects" is not an effective political counterpunch (though reasonably effective in political commentary), so he imagines Priebus is demonstrating Republican's growing sense of desperation.