But where do you draw the line? Is it ok for your teacher or professor to use incorrect grammar? Of course not. It undermines their ability to be a positive example. What about your boss? If you're working for a person who can't speak or type well, what does that do to your morale as a worker?
What about... a President? Can you stomach listening to a presidential speech when the person is using words like 'unpossible' or 'irregardless?'
It's like nails on a chalkboard to me. Which is why I don't think I can vote for this man:
I consider myself to be a centrist. I lean left on a lot of issues, and lean right on others. For example, I like Herman Cain's idea of simplifying the tax code and implementing a flat tax across the board. I think, of all the GOP nominees left, this guy might actually make a halfway decent President. But even if he were saying all the right things, I don't think I can vote for him.
You see, he's the consummate businessman. He used the be the VP of Pillsbury. He used to be the CEO of Godfather's Pizza. He has an MBA. Well educated, well vetted man, right?
Then why was he on a talk show a few day ago, using words like 'unpossible' and 'irregardless?' I was listening to Fox Radio while driving to this week's work area (only station that had reception) and Sean Hannity was interviewing Mr. Cain. The conversation was a fairly good one, but this man's grammar, misuse of words, and poor contextualization turned me off as a potential voter.
Any President can hire a good speech writer and speak to the masses. They can come off as eloquent, educated, and trusting. But when you hear a dude speak from the cuff, and he can't speak proper English... it reflects poorly on what he stands for.
When I hear 'unpossible' I think of Ralph Wiggum from the Simpsons:
You wouldn't vote for Ralph Wiggum, would you?