Political Metaphors: Basic meanings of the most popular political trope

Political Metaphors Basic meanings of the most popular political trope

Types of metaphors: Relating to the executive; Relating to legislation; Relating to elections; Relating to non-government organizations; Relating to the issues; Others.

Relating to the executive: • eminence grise ; • figurehead; • puppet government; • star chamber.

Relating to legislation: • • • • • blank check; grandfather clause; poison pill; pork barrel legislation or patronage; rider.

Relating to elections: • • • • • • • • • • character assassination; dark/black horse; landslide victory; muckraking; mudslinging; parachute candidate / carpetbagger; paper candidate; riding coattails; sacrificial lamb; stalking horse.

Relating to non-government organizations: • grassroots; • astroturfing.

Relating to the issues: • • • • wedge issue; third rail; straw man; sacred cow.

Others: • • • • government in the sunshine; lame duck; melting pot; salad bowl.

Eminence grise • literally, "grey man," from French. Colloquially, the power-behind-the-throne. An official close to the president or monarch who has so much power behind the scenes that he or she may double or serve as the monarch. Jean Léon Gerôme: L'Eminence Grise ист. Серое преосвященство (отец Джозеф – монах-францисканец, подручный и тайный агент кардинала Ришелье )

Figurehead • a leader whose powers are entirely symbolic, such as a constitutional monarch

Puppet government • a government that is manipulated by a foreign power for its own interests

Star chamber • a secretive council or other group within a government that possesses the actual power, regardless of the government's overt form

Blank check • legislation which is vaguely worded to the point where it can be widely exploited and abused

Grandfather clause • A clause in legislation that forbids or regulates an activity so that those engaged in it are exempted from the ban

Poison pill • a provision in an act or bill which defeat or undermines its initial purpose, or which make it politically unacceptable

Pork barrel legislation or patronage • acts of government that blatantly favor special interest groups

Rider • rider that attaches something new or unrelated to an existing bill. In legislative practice, a rider is an additional provision annexed to a bill under the consideration of a legislature, having little connection with the subject matter of the bill.

Character assassination • spreading (usually) manufactured stories about a candidate with the intent to destroy his or her reputation in the eyes of the public

Dark/black horse • a candidate who is largely ignored by opponents yet makes significant gains

Landslide victory • a huge victory for one side

Muckraking • uncovering and publicizing scandalous information about a person or organization

Mudslinging • harsh partisan insults exchanged between candidates

Parachute candidate / carpetbagger • a candidate who runs for election in an area which he or she is not a native resident or has no ties

Paper candidate • a candidate who puts no effort into his campaign and is essentially just a name on the ballot

Riding coattails • victories by local or state politicians because of the popularity of more powerful politicians

Sacrificial lamb • a candidate who is put forward to run for office, by his party or others, but who has no chance of winning

Stalking horse • a perceived front-runner candidate who unifies his or her opponents, usually within a single political party (кандидатура, выдвигаемая на выборах для раскола оппозиции)

Grassroots • a political movement driven by the constituents of a community

Astroturfing • formal public relations campaigns in politics and advertising that seek to create the impression of being spontaneous, grassroots behavior

Wedge issue • an issue which turns members of a party against each other

Third rail • an issue which is so controversial, pursuing it or even attempting to address it could end one's political career

Straw man • the practice of refuting an argument that is weaker than one's opponent actually offers, or which he simply has not put forth at all. A type of logical fallacy.

Sacred cow • an institution which few dare question, because it is so revered

Government in the sunshine • a government which keeps all its records and documents open and easily accessible by the public

Lame duck • a politician who has lost an election, or who is serving his last term in an office where the law limits the number of times he may succeed himself, and is simply waiting for his term to expire

Melting pot • a society in which all outsiders assimilate to one social norm

Salad bowl • a society in which cultural groups retain their unique attributes (opposite of melting pot theory)

Top Ten Metaphors of 2005 25 1) (political) fallout - "...political fallout from the scandal." 2) road map (to peace) - "Unfolding the road map to peace." 20 3) tidal wave - "A tidal wave of generousity." 4) fusion - "A fusion of technology and personality." 15 5) toxic gumbo - "New Orleans became filled with a toxic gumbo." 6) mix - "Sprite ReMix Aruba Jam." 10 5 7) catcher's mitt - "The Gulf Coast is a catcher's mitt for hurricanes." 8) iPod - "I've got a thousand songs in my iPod." 9) housing bubble - "The housing bubble has burst." 10) storm - "A storm of controversy." 0

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