“I don’t get “doesn’t get it.”

I was going to write tonight about the words and phrases used with numbing repetitiveness over the course of the national political conventions the past two weeks. Let’s run down just a few:

• “Vetting” It’s something that was either done insufficiently with Sarah Palin by the McCain campaign, or something that was overdone by the mean old media. Either way, time to give it a rest.

• “Maverick” The old John McCain label made a big comeback this week. It means being independent in thought and action. The problem is, I don’t think real mavericks go around talking about what mavericks they are. If everybody in the group acclaims you as a maverick, then, by definition, you aren’t one. Interestingly, the other definition of maverick is an unbranded stray calf, that’s considered the property of the first person who brands it. That could be an interesting political metaphor.

• “Hockey Mom” Are moms from every single sport eventually going to be broken into distinct demographic voting blocks? Do you campaign differently with hockey moms than with soccer moms? Are there enough hockey moms to throw the election one way or the other?

• “Elite” It was generally used by Republicans this week as an insult, directed at either the media or Barack Obama. And yet “elite” is defined as “the best or most skilled members of a group.” This is strange. It’s like saying, “don’t vote for him, he’s the best.” Read more after the jump.

But, by far, the most overused phrase of this political season is “he doesn’t get it,” or, conversely, “he gets it.” It’s the ultimate in lazy rhetoric, a kind of shorthand for explaining a candidate’s position without having to really EXPLAIN it. Of the two presidential candidates, Barack Obama has taken the lead in overusing this meaningless phrase. It was the most quoted line in his nomination acceptance speech: “It’s not because John McCain doesn’t care. It’s because John McCain doesn’t get it.”

What, exactly, is the “it” McCain is not getting? Here’s a sampling of some headlines that could help fill in the blanks:

“McCain, Like Bush, Still Doesn’t Get It When it Comes to Keeping America Safe” - From the Democratic Party website

“McCain doesn’t get it, calling this broken economy ‘strong.'” - From Obama campaign ad

“Obama gets it because he knows we are never all going to agree on the abortion issue… But John McCain DOESN’T get it.”- From feministing.com

But the republican nominee has his defenders in the “getting it” sweepstakes: “McCain Gets It on Latin America”- Investors Business Daily

“McCain gets it – he does not suffer from the disease of moral relativism in the current chapter of the Israeli-Palestinian Arab conflict.- The Jerusalem Post:

And there’s more on what Senator Obama does and doesn’t get:

“Obama Gets It on Trade”- The Nation

“When it comes to waging war against terrorists….Barack Obama just doesn’t get it.”- American Ranger website

And how about this headline, from a website called Englishbaby.com, which advocates against bilingual education: “Obama Gets It and Gets It”

TWICE he gets it! Easy to figure out who you should vote for in this election. Just tally up the number of issues important to you on which each candidate “gets it,” and whoever has the most, that’s your man!

But on a slightly more serious note, “he doesn’t get it” is a much more insidious kind of political putdown. It’s a slightly more polite version of that most loathsome of all negative ad phrases: “He’s not one of us.” They’re phrases aimed at sowing division and fear among voters, an effort to, in a way, invalidate the opponent and his supporters with a vague accusation that sounds ominous, but means nothing. It’s a cheap and lazy tactic, and we’re seeing more of it than ever.

I just don’t get it.