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Technically speaking, each of these three things is slightly different. Practically speaking, they are all the same in the attempt to confuse, distract, and deceive the reader, listener, buyer, and voter. We all know that each of these verbal tactics is normal behavior for most politicians and slick salespeople. They are prevalent at this time of year—election season.

During this political season, when you are facing several important decisions on issues ranging from birth and abortion to death and war, it is helpful to know how to protect yourself from being manipulated by these B-D-B tactics.

You will vote on issues, items, people, and policies based on one or more of the following things:

1)  the known credibility, morals, ethics, or behaviors exhibited by a person or evidence provided.

2)  the feelings and emotions that are created by that person or evidence provided.

3)  the logic and experience given by that person or the evidence provided.

Your decision to vote, one way or another, will be based on one or more of those three things.

Balderdash, doublespeak, and bullxxxxare all being used frequently and passionately by politicians and others during this season. They are planned, delivered, and repeated in an effort to sway your clear decision-making. When you think about it, you’ll find it challenging to identify any politician or others from any political party or organization who do not use one or more forms of B-D-B.

The most common use of B-D-B is when an issue that requires a logical decision is presented to you wrapped in emotion (sort of a logic sandwich, with the logic encased in the middle and surrounded by a lot of emotion).  This is designed to confuse and control your decision-making and voting.

What should you do? Read and listen critically to arguments for or against any issues, items, people, or policies during this election period. Refuse to consume a logic sandwich that comes wrapped in emotion. B-D-B comes wrapped in all kinds of emotion that is delivered with fanfare, folly, fun, pomposity, groupthink, and all sorts of shiny objects.

Enjoy them if you must, but remember they are only the emotional wrappings around the logic. Listen carefully, be curious, and have the courage to ask questions. Make decisions based on your personal assessment of the logic surrounding the issue, item, person, or project. That’s how smart you are.

Nothing is more symptomatic of our declining language skills than the increased misuse of prepositions and prefixes. People today feel compelled to tinker with proper word usage in speech by adding those handy prepositions and prefixes. Take traffic reports, for instance. Traffic on Route 1 is “easing up,” “easing down,” “easing off,” or “easing out,” but never just “easing.” What is “easing up” traffic?  Is that when cars levitate? Levitating cars certainly would ease traffic.

We truly have an “up” fixation. Let’s not forget “shine up,” “smash up,” “stand up,” “fix up,” “patch up,” “wait up,” “lighten up” (this is just before we levitate), and “listen up.” We also like to use the word “of” where it is unnecessary. Why do we need to get off of the couch? Why not get off the couch?

How about adding prefixes to words to make hyphenated words? These days, we “on-load” a truck and “off-load” a truck. Whatever happened to the utilitarian “load and unload” of a truck? A favorite business word with an unneeded prefix is “pre-planning.” What does one do in “pre-planning”? Stare out the window? Twiddle thumbs? Plan the planning? Whatever that is!

So, remember to enhance the meaning and power of your speech; use prepositions and prefixes sparingly. Don’t spend time fixing something that doesn’t need fixing. Instead, consider adding those extra prepositions and prefixes purposefully to enrich your verbal expression.