San Francisco values
Encyclopedia
"San Francisco values" is a term often used pejorative
ly and as an ad hominem
phrase to refer to cultural, social and moral attributes associated with the city of San Francisco, California
's liberal politics and pluralist culture
. Often values and expressions that are marked less popular among social conservatives, such as gay pride
, the anti-war
movement, or secular values generally, are invoked by users to frame
their argument. The same values form the foundation of what is known as West Coast liberalism, though the political cultures of Los Angeles (and notably Hollywood therein), Seattle, et cetera also contribute to this concept. This term, however, is not necessarily pejorative. For example, a liberal may identify as a "West Coast liberal" to distinguish himself/herself from other similar ideologies (i.e. East Coast liberalism) or to emphasize the issues which are most important to him/her.
, anti-war activism
, pro-choice politics
, marijuana decriminalization
, and lenient immigration policies
. Used this way, it is an ad hominem
attack.
and Newt Gingrich
. It is possibly a successor to then Democrat Jeane Kirkpatrick's
condemnation of "San Francisco Democrats" for a "blame America first" mentality at the 1984 Republican National Convention (the Democrats had just held their convention in San Francisco). Bill O'Reilly claims to have coined the term 'San Francisco Values', but the term dates back at least to 1996, when Rep. Frank Riggs
attacked his Democratic rival Michela Alioto
over her "San Francisco values."
With the ascendancy of San Francisco representative Nancy Pelosi
to Speaker of the House, the term experienced a surge in popularity following the 2006 midterm elections. Newt Gingrich, for example, sent a fundraising letter to supporters, saying, "Will everything you've worked so hard to accomplish be lost to the San Francisco values of would-be Speaker Nancy Pelosi?" Meanwhile, the Augusta Chronicle
, a Georgia
newspaper, warned readers that "Pelosi will be speaker and her far-left San Francisco values -- gay marriage, cutting and running from Iraq
, coddling terrorists, raising taxes, amnesty for illegals -- will become the House agenda."
In addition to being used by some right-wing pundits, the term has appeared in and around San Francisco itself. The San Francisco Chronicle
, San Francisco's largest daily newspaper, discussed the term in its 2006 article, "Three Dirty Words: San Francisco Values." The next week, the San Francisco Bay Guardian
responded with a similarly titled article, "San Francisco Values," calling the Chronicle's editorial positions into question.
"infused with dangerous "San Francisco values" like compassion, justice, and a living wage
".
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
ly and as an ad hominem
Ad hominem
An ad hominem , short for argumentum ad hominem, is an attempt to negate the truth of a claim by pointing out a negative characteristic or belief of the person supporting it...
phrase to refer to cultural, social and moral attributes associated with the city of San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's liberal politics and pluralist culture
Cultural pluralism
Cultural pluralism is a term used when smaller groups within a larger society maintain their unique cultural identities, and their values and practices are accepted by the wider culture. Cultural pluralism is often confused with Multiculturalism...
. Often values and expressions that are marked less popular among social conservatives, such as gay pride
Gay pride
LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...
, the anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
movement, or secular values generally, are invoked by users to frame
Frame
A frame is a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction.Frame may also refer to:-Engineering & construction:* A-Frame, a basic structure designed to bear a load in a lightweight economical manner...
their argument. The same values form the foundation of what is known as West Coast liberalism, though the political cultures of Los Angeles (and notably Hollywood therein), Seattle, et cetera also contribute to this concept. This term, however, is not necessarily pejorative. For example, a liberal may identify as a "West Coast liberal" to distinguish himself/herself from other similar ideologies (i.e. East Coast liberalism) or to emphasize the issues which are most important to him/her.
Meaning
"San Francisco values" is used in a pejorative sense by conservative commentators to describe a secular progressive culture commonly associated with the city of San Francisco. The term has been associated with same-sex marriageSame-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
, anti-war activism
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
, pro-choice politics
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
, marijuana decriminalization
Decriminalization of non-medical marijuana in the United States
Attempts to decriminalize cannabis in the United States began in the 1970s. Several jurisdictions have subsequently decriminalized cannabis for non-medical purposes, as views on cannabis have liberalized, peaking in 1978...
, and lenient immigration policies
Free migration
Free migration or open immigration is the position that people should be able to migrate to whatever country they choose, free of substantial barriers...
. Used this way, it is an ad hominem
Ad hominem
An ad hominem , short for argumentum ad hominem, is an attempt to negate the truth of a claim by pointing out a negative characteristic or belief of the person supporting it...
attack.
Media usage
The term "San Francisco values" was used by conservative pundits during the conservative movement of the mid-1990s, and has since been popularized by Bill O'ReillyBill O'Reilly (commentator)
William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
and Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
. It is possibly a successor to then Democrat Jeane Kirkpatrick's
Jeane Kirkpatrick
Jeane Jordan Kirkpatrick was an American ambassador and an ardent anticommunist. After serving as Ronald Reagan's foreign policy adviser in his 1980 campaign and later in his Cabinet, the longtime Democrat-turned-Republican was nominated as the U.S...
condemnation of "San Francisco Democrats" for a "blame America first" mentality at the 1984 Republican National Convention (the Democrats had just held their convention in San Francisco). Bill O'Reilly claims to have coined the term 'San Francisco Values', but the term dates back at least to 1996, when Rep. Frank Riggs
Frank Riggs
Frank D. Riggs is a politician from the states of California and Arizona.Riggs was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and he served in the United States Army from 1972 to 1975. Riggs worked as a police officer and in real estate...
attacked his Democratic rival Michela Alioto
Michela Alioto-Pier
Michela Alioto-Pier served as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She represented District 2, encompassing the Marina and Pacific Heights neighborhoods. She previously served as a member of the San Francisco Port Commission. She was appointed to the Board of Supervisors by Gavin...
over her "San Francisco values."
With the ascendancy of San Francisco representative Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
to Speaker of the House, the term experienced a surge in popularity following the 2006 midterm elections. Newt Gingrich, for example, sent a fundraising letter to supporters, saying, "Will everything you've worked so hard to accomplish be lost to the San Francisco values of would-be Speaker Nancy Pelosi?" Meanwhile, the Augusta Chronicle
Augusta Chronicle
The Augusta Chronicle is the major daily newspaper of Augusta, Georgia and is one of the oldest newspapers in the United States. The paper is known for its coverage of the Masters Tournament, which is played in Augusta. Among locals, the paper is commonly referred to as "The AC"-History:The paper...
, a Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
newspaper, warned readers that "Pelosi will be speaker and her far-left San Francisco values -- gay marriage, cutting and running from Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, coddling terrorists, raising taxes, amnesty for illegals -- will become the House agenda."
In addition to being used by some right-wing pundits, the term has appeared in and around San Francisco itself. The San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, San Francisco's largest daily newspaper, discussed the term in its 2006 article, "Three Dirty Words: San Francisco Values." The next week, the San Francisco Bay Guardian
San Francisco Bay Guardian
The San Francisco Bay Guardian is a free alternative newspaper published weekly in San Francisco, California. The paper is owned mostly by its publisher, Bruce B...
responded with a similarly titled article, "San Francisco Values," calling the Chronicle's editorial positions into question.
Push-back
The Peter B. Collins Show, a syndicated liberal talk show no longer on the air, billed itself as a talk showTalk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
"infused with dangerous "San Francisco values" like compassion, justice, and a living wage
Living wage
In public policy, a living wage is the minimum hourly income necessary for a worker to meet basic needs . These needs include shelter and other incidentals such as clothing and nutrition...
".
See also
- Massachusetts liberalMassachusetts liberalEastern Massachusetts liberal is a phrase in American politics which is generally used as a political epithet by Republicans against Democrats who are from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It was most significantly used in the 1988 presidential race by Vice-president George H.W. Bush against...
- East Coast liberalEast Coast liberalThe term East Coast liberal is a pejorative stereotype encountered in American political culture.The image associated with East-Coast liberalism is that of a white-collar young urban professional, usually a white male and Protestant, who is college-educated and cosmopolitan.Traditionally, East...
- Liberal eliteLiberal eliteLiberal elite is a political stigma used to describe affluent, politically left-leaning people. It is commonly used with the pejorative implication that the people who claim to support the rights of the working class are themselves members of the upper class, or upper middle class, and are...
- Limousine liberalLimousine liberalLimousine liberal is a pejorative American political term used to illustrate perceived hypocrisy by a political liberal of upper class or upper middle class status; including calls for the use of mass transit while frequently using limousines or private jets, claiming environmental consciousness...
- PropagandaPropagandaPropaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
- StereotypeStereotypeA stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
- Hollywood liberal
- San Francisco Values