Posts tagged as:

political campaigns

PULLED OUT ALL THE STOPS: make every possible effort

January 5, 2012

When Rick Santorum blasted his way through Iowa on Tuesday to attain a virtual tie for the most vote-getters in the 2012 Iowa Republican Caucus, someone commented that he had “pulled out all the stops” over a concentrated period of time.  It seemed to pay off as the candidate who had been running in the [...]

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November 1, 2011

For several years now there has been a public response to the presence of bullies in schools, organizations, sports, communities.   There seems to be a natural aversion to anyone who uses size, power, strength, or words to diminish the life of a weaker person.  In the past year or so we have seen children take [...]

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DELIQUESCE: to melt away, disappear

October 22, 2011

While the word deliquesce (pronounced del-a-kwes) is usually used in science to describe the concept of something melting away, like an ice cube, it also has literary applications.  It can be used (as a verb) to describe the concept of an issue fading from prominence. For instance, a recent New York Times article about the [...]

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STUMP SPEECH: a prepared political presentation which is “on message”

August 14, 2011

I suppose that … literally … the photo tells it best.  A stump speech can best be delivered while standing on a tree stump in the midst of an audience.   But the term has come to mean something broader.  A political  stump speech is one prepared by a campaign committee to include the specific, [...]

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RENEGUE*: to go back on one’s word

July 11, 2011

I first learned to use the word renegue when taking lessons in the playing of bridge.   I was taught that it referred to the inappropriate act of playing a card out of sequence, as in trumping someone’s card by failing to follow suit.    If you are not a card player, let me translate that into [...]

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WAR CHEST: money set aside or scheduled for a particular purpose or activity, as for a political campaign or organizational drive.

September 24, 2010

My wife pointed out to me the interesting feeling one gets when reading that a political candidate has a war chest. That’s a term which is used commonly to describe an accumulation of money designated for a political campaign.   To be fair, it is a term which is usually used to describe a bank account [...]

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MENDACITY: the tendency to be untruthful

September 21, 2010

The election season has given spawn to a new media column which assesses the truthfulness of statements made by candidates during their campaigns.   The results range from “Absolutely True” to “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire.” Research by the journalists determines which of the various categories can be applied to the data presented in a speech, [...]

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DYSTOPIA: an imaginary place where everything is as bad as it can be

September 6, 2010

We have all heard of Utopia, that fantasy land where everything is perfect.  Depending upon your personal tastes, Utopia is either a secluded beach in a luxurious tropical island or a pristine ski area in the Alps.   For many, it is someplace in between. But Dystopia is another thing.  It is just the opposite, a [...]

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POLL:a sampling or collection of opinions on a subject, taken from either a selected or a random group of persons

March 4, 2010

The predominance of politics in Washington, Sacramento, Providence, and any other capital city you can name in this country, down to the town hall in Bridgton, Maine, has created a multi-billion dollar enterprise we call the Poll. It has become impossible to wage a campaign for election in even the tiniest of municipalities without hiring [...]

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SUPPLANTER: a person who steals or undermines someone else's rightful possession.

January 18, 2010

Ghiberti’s depiction of The Blessing of Jacob illustrates the biblical story of Jacob who pretends to be his brother, Esau, and steals his blind father’s blessing. (Genesis 25) It is a complicated story, involving the unscrupulous maneuvering of Rebekah, Jacob’s mother. You have to read the reference to get the full story. But this biblical [...]

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