Alex, I understand your point and agree with much of the MAVENS essay. But there's a vast difference between kowtowing to obsolete prescriptive habits and simply avoiding messy speech. Consider particularly the tendency of so many members of our Congress to rant about so-sha-curity or the prezh-u-nida-states. I find it refreshing to listen to British politicians, most of whom can at least articulate. Now and then there's a fine speaker in US politics (e.g. Barbara Jordan) but by and large they're pretty sloppy. Could it be an intentional thing based on regionalism? After all, they're depending on the whim of voters from back home, who tend to, like, talk the same way.