this time around

[PolCas]

Hi all!

I was listening to a radio program and the guy there said:

"This is a guy that voted against the war this time around."

What does "around" add to the sentence?

I just don't get it.

Thanks.

 

[nycphotography]

Around implies a (neverending) circle of repetition.

This time around (the cycle). Next time, perhaps it will be different.

 

[foxfirebrand]

nycpix is right. This quote refers specifically to wars in Iraq, by the way. "This time around" as opposed to 1991-- with the mildly cynical (and cyclical) implication that there might be a third one.
.

 

[nycphotography]

I also suspect, since it was spoken language, that the nuance was unintended by the speaker.

They probably meant "this time" vs last time, and didn't intentionally imply the "next time".

 

[PolCas]

Thanks a lot! I'm starting to get it.

The guy (Larry Elder) was talking about a senator who also voted against the war in 1991.

So, did he want to say that the senator is kind of stubborn by persisting on doing something contrary to what is, according to Larry Elder's mindset, the right thing to do? I mean, did he try to say that the senator will always have that position no matter what?

There's an album by Hanson called "This time around"? What do you get when you read only that on a CD cover? It's like "We did it again" ?

Although now I understand the idea, there seems to be certain connotation according to what you both said that I still can't decipher.