The centrist Democratic think tank Third Way is circulating an Aug. 22 memo warning that some of the party’s preferred vocabulary is alienating swing voters. The internal document, shared with Democratic campaigns and congressional offices, lists 45 words and phrases it says “put a wall between us and everyday people of all races, religions, and ethnicities.” Third Way groups the blacklisted language into six buckets—ranging from “therapy-speak” to euphemisms that seek to “explain away crime.” Examples flagged for retirement include “privilege,” “triggering,” “microaggression,” “othering,” “progressive stack,” “centering,” “safe space,” and the use of “violence” in contexts such as “environmental violence.” The memo argues that such jargon reinforces perceptions that Democrats are out of touch with working-class and moderate voters, echoing concerns Republicans have raised for years. It urges candidates to adopt plainer language as the party prepares for the 2026 midterm campaign cycle, noting that some of the discouraged terms have appeared in past Biden administration communications.