On paranoia and left’s obsession with hearing "dog whistles"

Maybe I can help their mental sanity by explaining something?: The whole point a dog whistle is for your adversaries to not hear it.

It should go over their heads, and into the ears of your base, who nod approvingly.

If you want an example of a real, modern day cipher, here it is. As I noted at Politics Daily, “During the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama used the terms ‘bamboozled’ and ‘hoodwinked,’ which to most reporters meant nothing. But to those who had seen the film, the lines were an obvious reference to ‘Malcolm X.’”

(The people who might have been offended by Obama furtively paying homage to Malcolm X would never know; the people who would “get” the joke would be inclined to like it.)

There is no doubt that politicians have in the past — and still sometimes do — use code language. But the phenomenon we’re witnessing today is quite different. Republican politicians say something, which their base takes at face value. And then later, the left assigns a cynical interpretation to it.