To understand why Donald Trump probably won the first TV debate, it is necessary to revisit comments I made several days ago about the existence of two American English languages and those who speak them. I contended that one of those languages is spoken by an American "establishment" that includes well educated and self-styled "sophisticated" men and women with political views across the board – left, center, and right.  This is a social aristocracy that is, as it is very American, not inherited by money or class, but culturally transmitted by education, occupation, and personal preference.  The other language, which employs the same vocabulary and syntax, is spoken by a large number of men and women usually (but not always) with less education, often lower-paying work, and their own set of cultural preferences.  Each group is aware of the other, but there is relatively little interaction...(Read Full Post)