torch has been passed

Pinko is a pejorative word for someone with left-wing views. Over time, the term has evolved and is now often used in a slightly comical way.

Merriam Webster says that pinko was first used in 1925 to mean “a person …

The “lunatic fringe” is the wing of a political or social group that holds more extreme views than the rest of that group.  The lunatic fringe tends to hold stronger opinions, as well as more fanatical views.

Merriam Webster notes …

An armchair strategist is a person who creates plans and military strategy without being directly involved in the area. The term is often used in a derogatory manner.

“Armchair general” is often used interchangeably with armchair strategist. Terms like “armchair …

“It’s the economy stupid” was a phrase coined by James Carville in 1992, when he was advising Bill Clinton in his successful run for the White House.

In 1992, the US was experiencing an economic recession and the …

In 1948, when President Truman was running for re-election, he frequently attacked the Republican-controlled Congress as the “do-nothing Congress.”

In fact, the 80th Congress passed 388 public laws, making it hard to call it exactly “do nothing.”

But,the president charged …

“Weasel words” are used to evade a question or an issue.

They are a way to avoid direct statements of fact or principle. It’s similar to pussyfooting.

Weasel words are deliberately ambiguous; their double meaning leaves people guessing as …

“Greenwashing” is an attempt by a company to create the impression that a consumer product has benefits to the environment, even when it does not or may even be harmful to the environment.

As Sara Goddard writes about the practice…

“Nobody drowned at Watergate” was a phrase used, especially by supporters of President Richard Nixon, to minimize the impact of the Watergate scandal and to point to scandals in the Democratic party.

On June 17, 1972, five men managed to …

“Mistakes were made” is a phrase used in politics intentionally in the passive voice.

This specific usage, typically adopted by politicians or high-ranking officials, serves to acknowledge a problem or error without attributing explicit responsibility or fault.

In the precise …

“Evil empire” was President Ronald Reagan’s name for the USSR.

Reagan often portrayed the struggle between the US and the USSR as a moral war between good and evil. In some of his most famous speeches, he advocated a strong …

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, it now includes events coordinated globally in more than 193 countries.

The event emerged against the backdrop of an …

“Trickle down theory” is a derisive term for the idea that giving benefits to large, powerful people and companies can yield benefits for society as a whole.

Trickle down theory is also known as “trickle down economics.”

The theory got …

“Tell it like it is” is a common phrase used by politicians who want to highlight their own supposed candor.

Politicians who are “straight shooters” like to say that they “tell it like it is” without sugar coating any tough …

The “madman theory” is a political theory commonly associated with President Richard Nixon’s foreign policy during the Cold War.

Nixon tried to make the leaders of hostile Soviet bloc nations think the American president was irrational and volatile.

According to …

The term “magic minute” refers to a procedural rule that allows leaders in the House of Representatives, typically the Speaker, unlimited speaking time, despite the nominal rule stipulating that speeches should not exceed one minute.

This rule has its …

“Samizdat” was a form of underground press commonly available in eastern European countries with state-owned media sources.

Samizdat typically is a grassroots way to distribute censored content to citizens who otherwise would not have access to this material. 

It can …

“Red meat” is a term used in politics to refer to statements or policies that are designed to appeal to a political party’s base or to generate a strong emotional response from voters.

These statements or policies often involve controversial …

“Wilderness years” are a period of time in a politician’s career when he or she is not holding a position of power. This may happen because the politician has left his or her political party or has taken a hiatus …

“Little old ladies in tennis shoes” is a derisive reference to members of the John Birch society.

In 1961, the California Attorney General’s offices investigated the ultra-conservative John Birch society and determined that the group was paranoid and authoritarian …

Throwing one’s “hat in the ring” means announcing one’s intention to compete in a contest. In politics, it means running for political office.

The phrase originally comes from boxing, where contestants would literally throw their hats into the boxing …

“Little group of willful men” is a reference to President Woodrow Wilson’s dispute with a group of anti-war congressmen in the lead-up to America’s entry into World War Two.

The dispute led to the introduction of a cloture rule in …

Hustings are the speeches and campaign events associated with an election cycle. “On the hustings” is a synonym for being on the campaign trail.

The word itself derives from the Old Norse word “husthings,” or “house assembly,” which was a …

“Salami tactics” refers to a divide and conquer approach, which aims to split up the opposition.

The expression evokes the idea of slicing up one’s opposition in the same way as one might slice up a salami.

The phrase was …

A “thousand points of light” was slogan used frequently by former president George H.W. Bush to praise volunteerism and individualism.

Bush first used the phrase in his 1988 speech accepting the Republican nomination to the White House. In that speech, …

“Grass will grow in the streets” is a gloom-and-doom phrase sometimes used by politicians to imply that the country will go to economic ruin if they don’t win election, or if their own plan doesn’t prevail.

The phrase is sometimes …

The domino theory was critical in shaping US foreign policy during the Cold War. Domino theory argued that if one nation became communist, its neighboring states would go the same way. In theory, if one state “fell” to communism, its …

The Byrd rule is a parliamentary tripwire that prevents tangential material from being included in a budget reconciliation bill in the Senate.

Reconciliation legislation is developed in response to instructions included in a budget resolution.

The purpose of the reconciliation …

A “honeymoon period” is a period of popularity enjoyed by a new leader.

Usually, the term refers to an incoming president but it can refer to other high ranking officials as well.

Traditionally, both Congress and news outlets give presidents …

The Dixiecrats were a group of Southern Democrats who broke away from their party in 1948 because they objected to the Democratic Party’s stance on desegregation.

The Dixiecrats were also known as “States’ Rights Democrats” or boll weevil Democrats. …

A “gutter flyer” is a political attack ad, traditionally distributed in paper form. It is also typically anonymous, so that nobody can be held accountable for it or asked to verify the information contained in it.

Gutter flyers are a …

The grassroots are the ordinary people in a region, or in a political party. The “grassroots” level is the opposite of the leadership level. In politics, having grassroots support means having the backing of the people, rather than of party …

The practice of backing up diplomatic efforts with a visible show of military might.

A nation using gunboat diplomacy is making use of implicit military threats to achieve its policy objectives. 

A gunboat was a relatively small ship which could …

The Final Solution was a euphemistic name used by Nazi leaders for their plan to exterminate all of the Jews in Europe. The plan’s full name was the “final solution to the Jewish question.” The plan led to the murder …

“Don’t change horses” is a phrase used to urge voters to stick with the incumbent president during times of turmoil and conflict.

The full expression is “don’t change horses mid-stream” (or, sometimes, “don’t swap horses midstream”).

The expression is usually …

“Loose lips sink ships” is a phrase that originated from a wartime propaganda poster during World War II, and it was used to caution individuals against careless talk that could potentially reveal sensitive information to the enemy.

Over …

John Q. Public is a reference to the ordinary man or woman. His name is used as a shorthand for popular opinion and a personification of the general public.

Katy Waldman described John Q. Public as follows:

He’s an upstanding

To “electioneer” is to actively take part in an election by working for the election of a candidate or a party.

The word is almost always used in a pejorative sense. Most of the time “electioneering” is used to suggest …

In politics, a Bircher is an adherent to the teachings and philosophies of the John Birch Society, an anti-communist organization founded in 1958. The heyday of the Bircher movement was in the 1960s and early 1970s, when the organization had …

The Great Society was a sweeping set of proposals for social reform, put forward by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964 and aimed at improving access to education, good jobs, and healthcare for ordinary Americans.

Johnson had already proposed a “War …

The acronym CREEP is short for The Committee for the Re-election of the President, which in 1972 was the fundraising organization of then-president Richard Nixon’s re-election campaign.

The committee officially launched in 1971 and was originally abbreviated CRP. After the …

“Third-rate burglary” is a phrase which President Richard Nixon’s press secretary used to describe the Watergate break-in.

In June 1972, five men were arrested while trying to break in to the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate Hotel, in …

A “grand design” refers to any kind of deliberate plan of action. In politics, the term is usually used to mean an overarching strategy or a long-term plan.

A grand design implies long-term thinking.

The opposite of a grand design, …

“Give ’em hell Harry” is a reference to President Harry Truman’s 1948 re-election campaign. It’s also the name of a very successful play and movie.

In 1948, President Harry Truman was running for re-election. During a campaign stop in Bremerton, …

A “fifth column” is a group which operates in secret, usually within enemy lines, in order to help further a cause which they secretly support. 

The term originated with Emilio Mola Vidal, a Nationalist general who served under Franco during …

The “can’t win technique” is a campaign strategy used during the primary season. Typically, it means telling delegates and voters that your rival can’t possibly win the general election. The idea is to present one candidate as more electable, while …

The phrase “heartbeat away from the presidency” refers to the fact that the vice president will automatically succeed the presidency in the case of the president’s death, disability, or resignation.

The vice presidency is not a powerful position in itself. …

A “cabal” is a group of people involved in a secret plot or conspiracy. Cabal can also refer to the plot itself, or to the secret organization of the plotters.

Cabal originally is derived from the Hebrew word Kabbalah, …

A “three martini lunch” is a long, leisurely lunch, usually associated with either business or backroom political dealings.

The three martini lunch had its heyday in the middle of the 20th century, when attitudes about alcohol were more relaxed. It …

In politics, gridlock is a situation in which the government is unable to pass new legislation, often because the presidency and the Congress are controlled by different political parties.

As the Brookings Institution has pointed out, gridlock has been …

“Go fight City Hall” is a phrase expressing the futility of trying to battle government bureaucracy. The phrase sounds like a call to action but in fact, it is the opposite. An equivalent would be “you can’t fight City Hall.” …

“I am the law” is a phrase attributed to Frank Hague, the mayor of Jersey City from 1917 until he retired in 1947. He is remembered as the ultimate political boss, in an era when bosses ruled local politics.

Hague …

“Guns before butter” refers to the debate over how governments should use their revenue: should resources be used to build up the military, or should they be spent on domestic programs?

The concept of “guns before butter” was probably first …

In politics, a quagmire refers to a dangerous and usually complex situation which is difficult to get out of. In literal terms, a quagmire is a soft, marshy area of land that gives way underfoot. Making your way through a …

To be “on the fence” is to be hesitant about taking a political stance.

Someone who is “on the fence” resists joining one side or the other of an argument, especially when taking a side could be politically risky.

On …

The “eunuch rule” is a reference to the provisions in many state constitutions which prevented state governors from running for a second consecutive term in office. Those provisions have been amended in almost every state; as of 2020, Virginia is …

A “hatchet man” is an operative in charge of doing political dirty work — or dirty tricks — both during a campaign and sometimes as part of normal government functions.

The word was first popularized during the Watergate scandal. Several …

“Little Tin Box” is the title of a song in the 1959 musical, “Fiorello,” which told the story of one of New York City’s most famous mayors. Fiorello LaGuardia, a progressive politician who was a strong supporter of the …

“Ballot box stuffing” is a term that refers to the practice of illegally submitting more than one vote in a ballot in which just one vote is actually permitted.

The goal is ballot box stuffing is to rig …

In politics, “slow-walk” is a term used to describe an effort to prevent legislation or a political process from moving forward by intentionally slowing it down to a crawl.

Another similar term is “obstructionism.”

The origin of the …

The “Era of Good Feeling” refers to a period in U.S. history from about 1815 until about 1825, characterized by a sense of optimism and positivity.

The era is closely associated with the presidency of James Monroe, who served two …

The accumulation of military power and security assets by a country to encourage an amenable diplomatic atmosphere with other countries.

The phrase peace through strength is attributed to the policies of Roman Emperor Hadrian, who ruled from 117 to 138. …

In politics, a “fat cat” is a rich and influential person, usually one who donates generously to political campaigns. 

The expression suggests that the person is bloated and slightly grotesque, like a cat who’s been over-eating for years and has …

Karl Marx famously declared that religion is the opiate of the people. There are a few conflicting translations of the quote, so that sometimes religion is the “opium of the masses,” and sometimes it’s the “opiate of the people,” but …

The Fair Deal was a package of economic and social reforms put forward by President Harry Truman, with the stated purpose of giving all Americans access to education, healthcare, and good jobs.

Truman began talking about reform almost as soon …

“Dyed in the wool” is a phrase referring to people who hold very strong opinions and are unwilling to change them. Synonyms include “uncompromising” and “inveterate.” In politics, people might be can be referred to as “dyed in the wool …

“Eight millionaires and a plumber” is a dismissive reference to President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s first cabinet.

Eisenhower’s critics complained that the president’s top advisers were all wealthy and therefore, by implication, out of touch with ordinary people. The only exception …

“Chicken in every pot” was Republican campaign slogan of the late 1920s. The slogan is often incorrectly attributed to Herbert Hoover; it became a means for Democrats to attack Republicans as out of touch with economic reality.

The desire for …

A “boodle” refers to a large sum of bribe money or graft money.

Boodle can also be used to mean a large collection of something. In fact, some linguists believe that the phrase “the whole kit and kaboodle” is a …

The “great debates” were a series of public debates between Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. In 1858 Douglas, an Illinois Democrat, was running for re-election to the US Senate. Lincoln, a Republican, challenged him. The two held a series of …

In politics, a big tent refers to an inclusive party which encourages a wide swathe of people to become members. The opposite of “big tent” would be a party which is narrowly focused on only a few issues, or which …

A “blue state” is one whose voters elect primarily Democratic candidates.

It is the opposite of a red state, which elects primarily Republican candidates.

There are different levels of how ‘blue’ a state can be. If a Democratic candidate …

“Every Man a King” is the title of a speech delivered in 1934 by Senator Huey Long of Louisiana.

The speech, which Long delivered on national radio, is one of Long’s most famous speeches, along with his “Share the Wealth”…

To “rattle the cage” is an attempt to get attention, often through annoying, angering, or protesting.

In politics, rattling the cage of a politician or party typically happens when a large group of people get together to protest and demand …

A smear campaign is repeated uses of smears in an attempt to try to damage someone’s reputation, typically to make them lose an election.

The goal of a smear campaign is to create a negative public perception of the targeted …

In the summer of 1960, aspiring presidential candidate Richard Nixon met Nelson Rockefeller in Rockefeller’s New York City home to discuss Nixon’s campaign. What resulted from that meeting is known as the “Compact of Fifth Avenue.”

Also referred to as …

A “Mission Accomplished moment” has come to mean any grandiose declaration of success which later rings false.

On May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush delivered a speech announcing the end of major combat operations in Iraq.

“In the battle …

“Dirty tricks” are actions taken by a political campaign or candidate to damage their opponents that may involve unethical, distasteful, or illegal behaviors.

Political candidates and parties have used dirty tricks dating back to the early years of the American …

“Five o’clock follies” is a familiar and derogatory nickname for the daily press briefings that the U.S. military held for American reporters during the Vietnam War. In modern times, the phrase has been used to refer to any establishment effort …

The Chatham House Rule is a system for holding discussions on potentially controversial topics, particularly in politics and public affairs.

At a meeting held under the Chatham House Rule, you are free to use information from the discussion, but you …

A sit-in is a form of peaceful protest that involves sitting down and occupying space, often preventing access to a business or public space.

Sit-ins empower individuals to take direct action in support of their cause, regardless of their social …

A “captive candidate” is one who is allegedly “owned” by special interests or political groups. Calling someone a “captive candidate” is similar to saying that they are the puppet or the pawn of an interest group.

As William Safire has …

The term “bleeding hearts” refers to people who care deeply  — so deeply that their hearts bleed — about the suffering of the needy. The term is almost always derogatory. It’s usually applied to those on the left, hence the …

A list of political opponents kept by the Nixon administration. The phrase “enemies list” is now used as shorthand to refer to suspected abuses of power in any administration.

In 1973, former White House aide John Dean III told the …

A “clothespin vote” is a colorful term referring to a vote given to the “less objectionable” candidate despite a distaste for him or her. It’s commonly used during elections in which both choices are equally disliked. The concept is akin …

Ronald Reagan’s critics often referred to the president as an “amiable dunce.”

The phrase was meant to suggest that Reagan was friendly and likeable, but fundamentally not very bright.

Clark Clifford, the former Defense secretary and presidential adviser, was …

“Death panels” was a political term which falsely referred to the supposed dangers posed by the Affordable Care Act. Some opponents of the law, better known as Obamacare, argued that government-run healthcare could lead to a kind of de-facto euthanasia, …

In politics, a “bellwether” refers to a geographic area whose political beliefs and voting preferences reflect that of a wider area.

For example, a county might be said to be a “bellwether county” if it consistently votes the same way …

To “play in Peoria” is a phrase meaning how well something will appeal to the heartland or mainstream America. In politics, it is a gauge of how the average American will react to a policy or proposal.

Peoria is an …

“Appeasement” is a diplomatic policy in which nations attempt to make peace by making concessions to an aggressive nation. Appeasement is often linked with the policies of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain during World War II.

The most famous case …

A balanced ticket is a paring of political party candidates designed to appeal to a broad swathe of the electorate. A balanced ticket normally includes candidates likely to be approved of by different racial, regional, and religious groups.

The term …

In politics, the term “smoking gun” refers to a piece of evidence that definitively proves a crime or wrongdoing by an official.

The term originated from the idea that finding a gun that’s still smoldering on a murder suspect would …

“Separate but equal” was the infamous justification for the decision in Plessy v Ferguson, the case that formally legalized segregation.

The justification behind the decision was that segregation was constitutional as long as both black and white Americans had equal …

Broadly speaking, “big government” is a political term that refers to how much influence the federal government has on the day-to-day lives of American citizens.

More granularly, as defined by the Brookings Institute, it refers how much government spends, …

A “contested convention,” sometimes also referred to as a “brokered convention,” occurs when no single candidate for president secures the majority of delegates needed to win a political party’s nomination in advance of that party’s convention.

When that …

A “scalawag” is a pejorative term for a white southerner who supported Reconstruction efforts in the south in the late 1800s.

They are often associated with carpetbaggers, who were their northern counterparts.

The term was used by southern Democrats …

A “chilling effect” is a situation in which rights are restricted, often because of indirect political pressure or overbroad legislation. Chilling effect is usually used to refer to free speech restrictions.

The term, and in fact the doctrine, first became …

The terms “battleground state” and “swing state” refer to states that have closely divided support for Democratic and Republican presidential candidates.

They are also sometimes called “purple states.”

Presidential campaigns are waged mainly in these battleground …

A “one-house bill” is a bill introduced by a lawmaker for the purpose of grandstanding or to demonstrate their effort to fulfill political promises without the ability to actually pass the bill into law.

One-house bills are often introduced to …

The “cemetery vote” refers to a form of voter fraud, in which votes are cast in the names of registered voters who have, in fact, passed away. The term is also sometimes used when a vote is improperly cast by …