Potty Mouth Politics: Because Polite Isn’t Working

In American politics, we’ve been conditioned to expect candidates and elected officials to speak in polished, sanitized soundbites. Any slip of the tongue, especially a swear word, is met with pearl-clutching headlines about “civility.” But here’s the truth: swearing can be not only authentic, but also a powerful political tool—and it’s time we stop pretending otherwise.

Swearing Is Human—and Voters Know It

Decades of research show that people who swear are often perceived as more honest and trustworthy. A 2017 study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science found that people who used profanity were less likely to be deceptive. Why? Because swearing strips away pretense. It’s the language of raw emotion—the language people use when they actually care.

When politicians drop a well-placed curse, they cut through the robotic talking points and connect with voters on a gut level. It shows they’re not hiding behind spin doctors and handlers. They’re human.

Anger at Injustice Deserves Strong Language

Politics isn’t a polite dinner party. We’re dealing with climate collapse, attacks on women’s rights, systemic racism, crumbling infrastructure, and working families who can’t afford rent. If leaders aren’t furious about these things, they’re not paying attention. And when you’re furious, sometimes a swear word is the only language that fits.

There’s a long history of this in American democracy. Harry Truman was infamous for calling out “horse manure” when he saw it. Joe Biden’s hot-mic “big f***ing deal” moment during the Affordable Care Act signing went down as a symbol of passion, not disgrace. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, and others have unapologetically sworn when calling out corruption or injustice—and their voters loved them for it.

The “Civility” Double Standard

Let’s be clear: the outrage over swearing is selective. Male politicians have cursed for generations without ending their careers. Yet when women or candidates of color use strong language, they’re often branded as “angry,” “unprofessional,” or “unfit.” That’s not about the words—it’s about control. It’s about keeping politics reserved for the elite who know the “right” way to speak, while working-class voices are policed.

Swearing pushes back on that double standard. It refuses to conform to a system designed to silence passion and authenticity.

Swearing Cuts Through Noise

In today’s media environment, millions of words are spoken every hour by candidates. Most of them vanish. But drop a sharp, targeted swear word and suddenly people are listening. It’s memorable, it makes headlines, and it gets people talking about the issue instead of ignoring it. Swearing, used sparingly and strategically, is communication with impact.

The Real Issue: Substance, Not Syntax

At the end of the day, voters aren’t staying up at night worried that their representatives said “shit” in a speech. They’re worried about whether their kids can drink clean water, whether their wages cover rent, whether their rights are protected, and whether the people in power give a damn. If a candidate swears while fighting for those things, that’s not a flaw—it’s proof they’re willing to speak with urgency.

The demand for “civility” has been weaponized to keep politics sterile and disconnected from real life. Swearing isn’t the problem in our democracy. Apathy is. Corruption is. Injustice is. And if calling those things out means using the words ordinary people use every single day, then so be it.

Because sometimes, the truth is simple: there’s just too much bullshit in politics—and voters deserve candidates willing to say it out loud.