 Nunberg argues that the problem runs much deeper, in that the entire political discourse in the United States today has been shaped heavily by conservatives.According to Nunberg, ordinary words like "values", "freedom", "patriotism", and indeed "liberal" itself have acquired connotations that conservatives favor and that even allegedly liberal newspapers like "The New York Times" and "The Washington Post" take for granted.Nunberg contends that conservatives have used these terms to paint a picture of elite liberals out of touch with the values of mainstream, middle-class Americans.