Brookings Banter

Not to get too nit-picky, but "bully pulpit" actually uses the word differently than the modern understanding of "bully". It comes from the phrase "bully for you!" which was kind of like saying "way to go" or "good for you!" Teddy Roosevelt was the one who popularized the phrase (I think he used to say "bully" the way a Brit would say "hear hear" when agreeing with someone's point) when he talked about how the presidency is the world's best platform for getting people to listen to your arguments. (At least it used to be.) When a politician uses the term he or she means that he is going to talk up an issue in a very public way and use the very high profile of the office to get people to come around to their way of thinking. (Teddy later formed a third party called the Bull Moose Party for his attempt to get back to the white house but I have no idea if the name was related.)

By way of example, a city office holder might use the bully pulpit (along with a blog) to advocate for the preservation of older housing stock even if they were not going to force the matter thru legislation.

As for the phrase "bully for you", other than from my 80 year old mother about the only time I hear it is in the old David Bowie song Fame with the line:

Fame, bully for you, chilly for me/
Got to get a rain check on pain

Jambo - Thanks for the history lesson and you are not being nit-picky. Would you agree that the current state of politics is more school ground bully versus bully for you? I was a little sour watching a candidate sucking up to the topic and audience.

To the comment on using my blog as a bully pulpit. I will be suggesting changes to the city budget Tuesday to address this issue. I'm stepping down from the pulpit - bully for me!

I have no idea of the context of the original statement but I would guess that "using the bully pulpit" is always a good answer when someone asks what you are going to do about "X" and you don't have a specific plan. Like when someone asks what you are going to do about curing cancer.

I'm afraid to say I no longer know how to describe the current satae of politics in this country.