SURGE-ERY

I have to disagree with Matt's observation that people didn't use to say "surge" much, since one of the best parts of John Kerry's 2004 campaign was his late-primary surge, and his saying-surge obsession which occurred, I think, around Iowa-time. William Safire wrote a whole column about it during the general election, but the best part of the primaries was quotes like these only available, alas, on Nexis:

• "Kerry's fortunes appear to have turned in the closing days of the Iowa contest. His crowds have swelled, his poll numbers have risen, and his mood has soared. His favorite new slogan is "Surge!" -- which he frequently delivers in energetic bursts." The Washington Post, January 19, 2004.
• "'Do you like the surge? Are you ready for more surge?' he called out to the late-afternoon audience. 'And are you ready to make more and more surge a surprise on Monday? Sounds to me like you're ready for action.'" The Los Angeles Times, January 17, 2004.
• "'Do you feel a little surge?' Mr. Kerry asked a crowd here." The Dallas Morning News, January 17, 2004.
• "Do you like the surge?" Kerry hollered at the Sanford Community Center. "Are you ready to make more and more surge a surprise on Monday?" The Washington Post, January 15, 2004.

Image by Flickr user Magnus Kolstad used under the Creative Commons license.

--Tim Fernholz