[Grammar] 'provocatively admired' or 'notes provocatively'?

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Angie8

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In the sentence below, the word "provocatively" is to describe Judge or Reagan? Should I read like this to make more sense: Judge notes provocatively that while governor of California.....
But if it's "Reagan provocatively admired," that's not making sense to me because the dictionary says it means "causing anger or another strong reaction", putting together with "admired" would be strange in context to me.

"Judge notes that while governor of California, Reagan provocatively ‘admired Coolidge’s tax-rate and budget cuts and the prosperity they produced."
 

5jj

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In the position between 'Reagan' and 'admired, 'provocatively' can modify only 'admired' Reagan's admiration of Coolidge's measures caused strong reactions.
 

BobK

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Angie8;957659... But if it's "Reagan provocatively admired said:
's not making[/STRIKE] doesn't make/makes no* sense to me because the dictionary says it means "causing anger or another strong reaction", putting together with "admired" would be strange in context to me.

"Judge notes that while governor of California, Reagan provocatively ‘admired Coolidge’s tax-rate and budget cuts and the prosperity they produced."
The provoking and the admiring have different objects, so there's no problem here. The fact [that Reagan admired Coolidge's fiscal policies] was provocative.

* Note: 'no' not 'not'. (Phew - plenty of scope for typoes there ;-))

b
 
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