“Astrotweeting” is the creation of fake Twitter profiles to show support for a political candidate. Bill White described the practice in an Texas Monthly interview …
The term “Teflon president” describes a president who has a seemingly magical ability to avoid blame. A Teflon president is so charismatic that — like a Teflon pan — nothing unwanted can stick to him. No matter how much …
A “push card” is a small, easy access, wallet-sized campaign sign typically given to a potential voter during door-to-door canvassing or at an event.
They’re also sometimes called palm cards because they’re designed to be small enough to fit in …
“Dummymander” is a play on the term “gerrymander,” and it refers to a redrawing of a district map that actually ends up benefiting the opposite party that was designed to help.
When a political party in power reshapes …
“Talking points” are a clear and concise list of ideas making up a politician’s main arguments in a stump speech. They’re typically used as a guide and not read word-for-word.
William Safire noted that he first heard the phrase …
A “red herring” is a political diversion which draws attention away from something of significance.
Michael Quinlan notes the term likely originates from an article published on February 14, 1807 by journalist William Cobbett in the Weekly Political Register. …
A front-porch campaign is one in which the candidate stays close to home throughout the campaign. Instead of crisscrossing the country to woo voters, the candidate connects with supporters locally (by making speeches from his front porch, for example).
The …
A “money bomb” is an intense grassroots online fundraising effort over a brief fixed time period to support a candidate for election.
The term was first applied to a fundraising effort on behalf of the 2008 presidential campaign of Rep. …
The “Bradley effect” is a polling phenomenon involving high support for non-white and non-female candidates in opinion polls not reflected by election results.
Origins and History
This phenomenon was coined following Tom Bradley’s (D) run for California governor in 1982. …
“Bunk” is empty or nonsense talk.
In 1820, Rep. Felix Walker from Ashville, North Carolina justified his long-winded and somewhat irrelevant remarks about the Missouri Compromise by arguing that his constituents had elected him “to make a speech for Buncombe.” …
“Flake rate” is a calculation of people who sign up to volunteer for political canvassing or events but do not participate.
Flake rate is presented as a percentage of volunteers who initially sign up for campaign activities but ultimately decline …
Psephology is the scientific study and statistical analysis of elections and voting.
The term was coined in 1952 by Oxford Professor R. B. McCallum and is derived from the Greek word psephos, which means pebble, and references the pebbles used …
A “demon sheep” is a sinister politician who pretends to be what he is not; related to the RINO species, according to Samuel Jacobs.
The term comes a widely-mocked political ad run by 2010 California U.S. Senate candidate Carly …
If the Senate initiates appropriations legislation, the House practice is to return it to the Senate with a blue piece of paper attached citing a constitutional infringement since all measures are supposed to originate in the House. The practice of …
The “incumbent rule” is a rule of thumb used by pollsters that says incumbents rarely get a higher percentage in the election than they receive in polls, and that voters still undecided on the very last poll tend to “break” …
The “Washington Read” is the phenomenon by which, through a form of intellectual osmosis, a book is absorbed into the Washington atmosphere, according to the Washingtonian magazine.
“According to former White House speechwriter Dan McGroarty, to qualify as a Washington …
“You’re no Jack Kennedy” is a phrase used to deflate politicians who are perceived as thinking too highly of themselves.
The words come from the 1988 vice presidential debate between Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-TX) and Sen. Dan Quayle (R-IN). When …
In politics, a “turkey farm” refers to a government agency or department that is staffed primarily with political appointments and other patronage hires. In particular, it is used to refer to hires that are underqualified but are put in …
The “candy desk” is where a supply of candy is kept in the U.S. Senate.
Sen. George Murphy (R-CA) originated the practice of keeping a supply of candy in his desk for the enjoyment of his colleagues in 1965. In …
A term “teabaggers” is a derogatory nickname used to refer to supporters of the conservative “Tea Party” movement.
CBS News: “It’s the sort of word you might expect to hear from a smirking 14-year-old boy: Critics of the Tea …
According to Time, a “cuff links gang” refers to the group of friends who helped Franklin D. Roosevelt run for Vice President in 1920 “and to whom he gave sets of cuff links in remembrance of that unfortunate political …
The Election Administrator’s Prayer is “Please, please, please let the winners win big.” or “Lord, let this election not be close.”
Doug Lewis, Executive Director of the National Association of Election Officials, was quoted by USA Today using another variation …
A “carpetbagger” is a politician who runs for office or tries to appeal to a constituency in a geographic area where he or she has no roots or connection.
The term traces its roots back to the Civil War era, …
A “snollygoster” is a political operative or candidate who uses cunning or ethically questionable behavior to achieve power.
The term snollygoster is traced back to 1846 by Merriam-Webster with a strong preference for the word among Southern politicians starting in …
“Gobbledygook” is a term coined by Rep. Maury Maverick (D-TX) for obscure and euphemistic bureaucratic language.
World Wide Words: “He used the word in the New York Times Magazine on May 21, 1944, while he was chairman of the …
“Political suicide” is an unpopular action that is likely to cause a politician’s subsequent defeat at the polls or be cause for him or her to resign from public office.
However, as William Safire notes in Safire’s Political Dictionary, …
Soft power is the ability to obtain what one wants through co-option rather than the use of coercion.
The phrase was first coined by Joseph Nye of Harvard University in the late 1980s and is now widely used in international …
A “sacred cow” is any program, policy, or person that is regarded as being beyond attack or untouchable. The term references the status held by cows in Hindu culture, where the cow is regarded as a sacred animal.
For instance, …
“Bundling” is the practice of rounding up contributions from friends and associates to bypass campaign finance limits.
San Antonio News-Express: “Welcome to the world of bundlers: a semi-secretive though perfectly legal practice in which super-duper fundraisers deliver bundles …
In politics, a public event at which a big group of political candidates all speak.
The term comes from the acting world, where a “cattle call” is a massive audition to fill a part in a movie or play. Merriam …
A “gypsy moth Republican” is a pejorative term used by conservative Republicans to describe a moderate members of their party who represent a Northeastern or Midwestern urban part of the United States — an area that is also the habitat …
“Filling the tree” is a procedure used by the Senate Majority Leader to offer a sufficient number of amendments on legislation to “fill the tree” so that no other senator can offer an amendment.
Congressional Institute: “By tradition, the …
“Cutting turf” is plotting canvassing routes for campaign workers to knock on doors.…
A Shermanesque statement is a clear and direct statement by a potential political candidate indicating that he or she will not run for a particular office.
The term is derived from a remark made by Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman when …
“Mama Grizzlies” is a metaphor used by 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin for conservative women.
In speeches during the 2010 midterm election campaign, Palin challenged these “mama grizzlies” to rise up and “take this country back” and invoked …
A Boll weevil Democrat was a conservative southern Democrat in the mid 1900s, largely known for his opposition to civil rights. They used the term because the boll weevil, a southern pest, could not be eliminated by pesticides – politicians …
First explored by Sidney Blumenthal in his 1980 book, The Permanent Campaign, which explained how the breakdown in political parties forced politicians to govern in different ways. Instead of relying on patronage and party machines, politicians increasingly used political …
A phrase used by Vice President Spiro Agnew to refer to the members of the media with whom he had a very acrimonious relationship.
Said Agnew while speaking to the California Republican state convention on September 11, 1970: “In the …
A Farley file is a log kept by politicians on people they have met previously.
It’s named for James Aloysius Farley, who was Franklin Roosevelt’s campaign manager and later became chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Farley kept a file …
“Chum” is campaign gear such as bumper stickers, lawn signs, and campaign buttons.
The term is derived from the bait used to catch fish because in a political campaign these items are frequently used to entice volunteers and voters to …
The “full Ginsburg” refers to an appearance by one person on all five major Sunday-morning interview shows on the same day: This Week on ABC, Face the Nation on CBS, Meet the Press on NBC, State of the Union on …
The use of a “killer amendment” is a legislative strategy of using an amendment to severely change a bill’s intent for the purpose of killing a bill that would otherwise pass.
The member proposing the amendment would not vote in …
Two politicians are “strange bedfellows” if they have made an unusual political alliance.
The term comes from Shakespeare’s The Tempest when a storm causes Trinculo to seek shelter under a sheet with Caliban, whom he regards as an enemy. “There …
A “stemwinder” is a rousing political speech that galvanizes a crowd to take action.
The Word Detective notes the term is “one of those grand old words that have traveled so far from their origins that nearly all traces of …
The “advance man” is someone who makes arrangements and handles publicity for the candidate during a campaign. The advance man travels to a location ahead of the candidate’s arrival and sets everything up so that things run smoothly for the …
“Politics ain’t beanbag” Is an old-fashioned way of saying that politics can be rough. People express roughly the same idea when they call politics “hardball” or a “contact sport.”
The term originally comes from a 19th century novel …
A “cookie-cutter campaigns” are political campaigns run by political consultants who use virtually identical strategies in different jurisdictions. The typical sign of such campaigns are websites or direct mail advertisements that use identical layouts and stock photographs.
The increased number …
Petitioning is a phase in a campaign where organizers collect signatures to put a candidate’s name on the ballot.
How many signatures are needed depends on the jurisdiction and the office sought; some states allow candidates to pay a fee …
A “czar” is an unofficial title used to refer to high-ranking executive branch appointments.
Czars are usually given responsibility for a specific policy area and do not have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. They usually have an official …
A favorite son candidate is one who draws their support from the home state or from the broader region. Sometimes the term is also used for someone with little to no support outside of their own region.
In the past, …
A patriot is a person who loves, supports, and defends one’s country.
However, a patriot does not necessarily support their leader’s actions or a nation’s policies. For example, the colonists who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution also …
A glad hander is a highly extroverted person, who makes a point of acting friendly in an over-the-top way. In politics, especially, the term glad-hander connotes insincerity and opportunism.
Glad-handers are also referred to as back slappers. To “glad-hand” is …
The act of a political candidate presenting his or her views as being above and between the left and right sides of the political spectrum. It’s sometimes called the “third way.”
The term was first used by political consultant Dick …
A “push poll” is a form of interactive marketing in which political operatives try to sway voters to believe in certain policies or candidates under the guise of an opinion poll.
More akin to propaganda than an actual unbiased opinion …
Republican In Name Only (RINO) is a disparaging term that refers to a Republican candidate whose political views are seen as insufficiently conforming to the party line.
The phrase, without the RINO acronym, became first popularized during the Theodore …
The “well” of the U.S. House of Representatives is the area in front of the rostrum.
Members wishing to speak generally do so from the well, and Congressmen who are censured are required to stand in the well to hear …
In politics, if you want to follow legislation that’s introduced both on the local and national levels, it’s important to understand the meaning of the term “germane.”
“Germane” is typically defined as “in close relationship, appropriate, relative or pertinent to.” …
A whisper campaign is a method of persuasion using rumors, innuendos or other sneaky tactics to create false impressions about a political candidate while not being detected spreading them. For example, a campaign might create use automated phone calls or …
Shivercrats were a conservative faction of the Texas Democratic Party in the 1950s named for Texas Gov. Allan Shivers (D).
The term was first used in 1952 after Shivers backed Republican Dwight Eisenhower for president over Democrat Adlai Stevenson.
Interestingly, …
Logrolling refers to a quid pro quo exchange of favors. In politics, “logrolling” generally refers to vote-trading by lawmakers to ensure that each legislator’s favored provisions have a higher chance of passing.
Specifically, logrolling means combining several provisions into one …
The term “inside baseball” refers to any subject matter which is considered too highly specialized to be appreciated by the general public. In politics, inside baseball usually refers to the technical details and the finer points of political strategy, as …
In American politics, the term “mugwumps” was first used to describe those who left the Republican party in favor of the Democrats in 1884 to vote for Glover Cleveland instead of the GOP nominee James Blaine.
At a contentious …
U.S. Senate rules include a special section for consideration of the annual Budget resolution. The Budget is not subject to filibuster, but all amendments must be germane and are voted on consecutively without real debate.
During a vote-a-rama, each amendment …
The Committee of the Whole is a procedural device used to expedite debates in the U.S. House of Representatives.
To use it, the House adjourns and enters into a committee, with all representatives being members – this procedure allows congressmen …
A “gaffe” is an unintentional comment that causes a politician embarrassment.
The term often refers to a politician inadvertently saying something publicly that they privately believe is true, but would ordinarily not say because it is politically damaging.
The U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate each have a sergeant-at-arms, whose job it is to maintain order in the legislative chamber.
In the Senate, the sergeant-at-arms can also be instructed to request the presence of senators if not …
Fusion voting allows a candidate’s name to appear on multiple parties’ ballot lines, and to combine his or her votes from those lines.
The practice was widespread in the 19th century, as Democrats benefited from fusion tickets with populist parties, …
To be on the “bandwagon” is to follow a group that has a large and growing number of followers.
A bandwagon is literally a wagon which carries the band in a parade. The phrase “jump on the bandwagon” first appeared …
The mark-up is the committee meeting held to review the text of a bill before reporting it to the floor.
Committee members do not make changes to the text but can vote on proposed amendments. In conclusion, members vote on …
The “Fourth Estate” refers to the news media, especially with regards to their role in the political process.
The phrase has its origins in the French Revolution, where the church, nobility and commoners comprised the first, second, and third estates. …
A “body man” is an assistant who follows a political figure around the clock, providing logistical assistance for daily tasks ranging from paperwork to meals. This is different than the advance man who typically prepares solely for campaign events.
The …
An absentee ballot is a vote cast by someone who is unable to visit the official polling place on Election Day.
This type of vote is normally submitted by mail.
Increasing the ease of access to absentee ballots are seen …
A stump speech is a speech that a politician makes again and again as they travel to different places during a campaign.
The expression dates back to early American history, when candidates would travel through the countryside building support …
A split ticket is when a voter chooses candidates from different political parties in the same election.…
In politics, “mudslinging” is a tactic used by candidates or other politicians in order to damage the reputation of a rival politician by using epithets, rumors or mean-spirited innuendos or insults. The term is often used interchangeably with the more …
The Copperheads were Northern Democrats who opposed the Civil War and wanted a peace settlement with the Confederates.
Republicans started calling them Copperheads, likening them to the poisonous snake. Interestingly, they accepted the label but because the copperhead to them …
Franking privileges allow lawmakers to send mail to constituents without having to pay postage. A copy of the member’s signature replaces the stamp on the envelope. Authentic signatures of famous individuals are valuable collectors’ items.
Franking privileges in Congress date …
A “Dear Colleague letter” is an official communication distributed in bulk by a lawmaker to all members of Congress.
Dear Colleague letters typically include issues related to co-sponsoring or opposing a bill, new procedures or upcoming congressional events.
Although …
Straight ticket voting allows voters to choose every candidate on a single party’s slate by making just one ballot mark.
Over the years, many states that once allowed straight ticket voting have abolished it. In 2020, only seven states …
A convention bounce refers to the surge of support a presidential candidates may enjoy after the televised national convention of their party.
The size and impact of a convention bounce is sometimes seen as an early indicator of party unity.…
An exit poll is a poll of voters taken immediately as they leave the polling place in which they are asked which candidate they chose.
Exit polls are conducted by media companies to get an early indication of who actually …
Hideaways are personal, unmarked offices in the Capitol originally assigned to senior senators. They are conveniently located near the Senate floor.
The hideaway location of an individual Senator is a closely held secret, most with no names on the doors. …
Funds that are allocated to a specific program, project or for a designated purpose. Revenues are earmarked by law. Expenditures are earmarked by appropriations bills or reports.
According to the Office of Management & Budget definition, earmarks include:
Also called, “one minutes”, a speech typically given at the beginning of the day by a House member on a chosen topic.
One minutes can also be scheduled at the end of legislative business. It is at the discretion of …
Aardvarking is recruiting candidates for public office with the main objective of having their names begin with the letter A.
GOP consultant Roger Stone: “In the late 1970’s a Republican consultant and I examined a series of races on …
In politics, a “dark horse” is a candidate for office for whom little is known or for whom expectations are low, but who then goes on to unexpectedly win or succeed. While history is replete with examples of dark horse …
Unanimous consent is a legislative procedure whereby a legislator requests approval by all legislators to approve rule changes and bills.
Unanimous consent rules have been used in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate since their first meetings in 1789. A …
A blanket primary is a primary election whereby each voter can select one candidate per office regardless of party. This primary is different from open or closed primaries, which require each ballot to only feature votes for candidates from …
A photo-op is short for a “photo opportunity,” an event specifically staged for television news cameras or photographers to increase a politician’s exposure.
The term was reportedly coined during the Nixon administration by Bruce Whelihan, an aide to Nixon Press …
Morning business is routine business that is supposed to occur during the first two hours of a new legislative day in the U.S. Senate.
This business includes receiving messages from the President and from the other legislative chamber, reports from …
An “open primary” is an election that allows voters to select candidates on one party’s ballot without declaring their own party affiliation.
It’s not to be confused with a blanket primary or jungle primary, in which all candidates appear …
A recess appointment is a presidential appointment typically requiring Senate approval that is made during a Senate recess.
To be confirmed, the appointment must be approved by the Senate by the end of the next session of Congress or the …
A witch hunt is a politically-motivated, often vindictive investigation that feeds on public fears.
The term refers to the witch hunts in 17th-century Salem, Massachusetts, where many innocent women accused of witchcraft were burned at the stake or drowned.
Sen. …
Leader time is the ten minute time allotted to majority and minority leaders at the start of the daily session.
Leaders use the time to discuss any important issues or the day’s legislative agenda. All or part of the leader …
The Electoral College is a constitutionally mandated process that determines who serves as president and vice president of the United States every four years. It was a compromise between having Congress elect the president and a direct election by popular …
A recall election allows voters to oust an elected official, by means of a direct vote,while that official is still in the middle of their term. Recall elections are relatively rare and usually take place after the official does something …
Legislators introduce bills by placing them in the bill hopper attached to the side of the clerk’s desk.
The term derives from a funnel-shaped storage bin filled from the top and emptied from the bottom, which is often used to …
To “lay on the table” is to make motion for the permanent disposal of a bill, resolution, amendment, appeal, or motion.
One of the most widely used parliamentary procedures, tabling can be effected through unanimous consent — where the Chair …
A junket is a pleasure trip taken by a politicians with expenses paid for with public funds.
President Obama was accused of wasteful spending on a junket to New York in May, 2009 for dinner and a show with his …
Cats and dogs are are leftover “stray” bills on minor subjects saved for days when the House or Senate have light floor schedules.…
In politics, fence mending means making an effort to repair a political relationship after it has been damaged.
The term was first used in 1879 by John Sherman. Sherman, the younger brother of the Civil War hero William Tecumseh …