won the general election for dignity

[Ostap]

Hello teachers. Does it mean Liz Cheney won a race the prize in which was dignity?

 

[Tarheel]

No. There's no such election.

 

[Ostap]

Ok, I was not clear enough: she won a race which proved she had more dignity than the other contenders. Right?

 

[Tarheel]

No. It's somebody's opinion. I'll leave it at that.

 

[Ostap]

No. It's somebody's opinion. I'll leave it at that.

What do you mean?

 

[Tarheel]

I couldn't have been clearer. Somebody likes Liz Cheney. Whoever it is likes Liz Cheney more than other Republicans. (It's politics.)

(Liz Cheney lost an election in Wyoming to another Republican.)

 

[emsr2d2]

Hello, teachers.

Does it mean Liz Cheney won a race, the prize in which for which was dignity?

Ok OK/Okay, I was not clear enough: she won a race which proved she had more dignity than the other contenders. Right?

Note my changes above. I'm sure we've pointed out before that "Ok" and "ok" are both wrong. At the start of a sentence, use either "OK" or "okay". Elsewhere in a sentence, use "OK" or "okay".

There is no actual race! It simply means that, in the opinion of the writer, Liz Cheney has behaved with more dignity than the other candidates. They're saying that if there had been a general election based on one's dignity, she would have won.

 

[Ostap]

Note my changes above. I'm sure we've pointed out before that "Ok" and "ok" are both wrong. At the start of a sentence, use either "OK" or "okay". Elsewhere in a sentence, use "OK" or "okay".

There is no actual race! It simply means that, in the opinion of the writer, Liz Cheney has behaved with more dignity than the other candidates. They're saying that if there had been a general election based on one's dignity, she would have won.

I didn't know about "OK".

So my concern was particualry the usage of "for". We say that someone won the election for mayor/governor/president/ect. She lost that election, but instead won it for "dignity". Is that the same usage of "for"? As in, a race for dignity, who wins gets the dignity (so my post #1 was more exact than #3).

 

[Ostap]

I couldn't have been clearer. Somebody likes Liz Cheney. Whoever it is likes Liz Cheney more than other Republicans. (It's politics.)

(Liz Cheney lost an election in Wyoming to another Republican.)

But how does the fact that it's an opinion affect the question?

 

[Skrej]

Because it's a compliment. The author of that statement is stating his admiration for her with a metaphor about this supposed 'dignity race.'

If someone didn't like her (i.e. had a different opinion about her), they wouldn't use such a metaphor.

 

[Ostap]

Because it's a compliment. The author of that statement is stating his admiration for her with a metaphor about this supposed 'dignity race.'

If someone didn't like her (i.e. had a different opinion about her), they wouldn't use such a metaphor.

It was obvious that it was a metaphor (and I knew the context), but the rules of grammar still stand. The abstract concept of "dignity" should be treated as a concrete noun here, (prize, elected official), shouldn't it?

 

[Tarheel]

Your questions indicated that you really thought there was some kind of election/campaign/race for dignity which Liz Cheney won. The writer (almost certainly not a Republican) was in my opinion knocking other Republicans more than praising Liz Cheney.

 

[5jj]

The abstract concept of "dignity" should be treated as a concrete noun here, (prize, elected official), shouldn't it?

No.

 

[Ostap]

Your questions indicated that you really thought there was some kind of election/campaign/race for dignity which Liz Cheney won.

Likewise, you could argue that George Conway's tweet indicated that he really thought there was some kind of election/campaign/race for dignity which Liz Cheney won.
But he didn't have to warn at the beginning, "The following is a metaphor, guys."
Neither did I.

No.

So if the "for" in "won the general election for dignity" is not the same "for" as in "won the general election for governor", then what's the meaning of "for" in the OP?

 

[5jj]

My 'no' had nothing to do with 'for dignity'

 

[Ostap]

My 'no' had nothing to do with 'for dignity'

OK, but the thread has everything to do with for dignity. Is it the same for? Running for office. Racing for a prize.

 

[Tarheel]

OK, but the thread has everything to do with for dignity. Is it the same for? Running for office. Racing for a prize.

Of course it's the same. But the prize is imaginary.

 

[Ostap]

Of course it's the same. But the prize is imaginary.

To think of it, it's an awkward metaphor, since it indicates she didn't have dignity until she won the race.

 

[Tarheel]

No, it doesn't.

 

[Ostap]

No, it doesn't.

Why? If you're running for President, you are not President until the end of the race (the inauguration, actually). How is that any different? Unless we assume that the "dignity" implies "the title of the (most) dignified person". But that would be complicating things.