“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, …
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, …
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 …
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 …
Rough and tumble, attack-dog style political campaigns are sometimes referred to as pitbull politics.
In the same way, a pitbull politician is one who is relentlessly aggressive and doggedly partisan.
The term dates back at least to the late 20th …
A politician whose rhetoric appeals to raw emotions such as fear and hatred in order to gain power.
Former Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-WI) is often cited as a classic demagogue for his practice in the 1950s of smearing prominent Americans …
In politics, a “rainmaker” is an individual who can raise campaign funds for others.
Often, a rainmaker is a retired politician who still has a significant following and can make use of those connections for fundraising purposes. Staffers and professional …
A “power broker” is someone who wields indirect political power, either by influencing the outcomes of elections or by exercising influence over key decision makers.
A power broker is not usually motivated by ideals, or by lofty policy goals. …
Those who have power and influence in business, politics, or other segments of the public sphere. Party leadership, committee leaders, or people with influence among certain demographics can all be considered movers and shakers.
The term was coined by 19th …
A person with the highest status or most power in an organization. From a political standpoint, this usually refers to someone in the party leadership or with another influential position.
The term is interchangeable with mucky-muck or muckamuck.…
A “party line” is the ideology or the agenda of a political party. The party line consists of most core tenets of a party, as well as anything they are attempting to accomplish.
The phrase is most often used in …
A time when drastic actions are required, because all other methods have failed. The phrase is used in sports as well as in politics.
Nut-cutting time is similar to “crunch time” – it’s a moment when the stakes are high …
A grifter is a con artist, someone who obtains money by swindling or tricking others. In politics, the word refers to people who use the political process as a way to enrich themselves.
Merriam Webster notes that the word first …
“Kingfish” is the nickname for Huey P. Long, the one-time governor of Louisiana. Long was a divisive figure who played a larger than life role in his state’s politics, and beyond. He continued to loom large even after he was …
An “ego wall” is where people flaunt their political connections by displaying photos of themselves with more famous people.
The phenomenon is also sometimes called the “glory wall” or “me wall.”
Mike Nichols: “The ego wall is where the …
Honest graft refers to the money-making opportunities that might arise while holding public office. The activities are, strictly speaking, legal, although they might raise eyebrows or provoke criticism.
The term “honest graft” was coined by George Washington Plunkitt, a Tammany …
To be “thrown under the bus” is to be sacrificed by someone hoping to avoid blame themselves, often in order to make political gain.
Newsweek: “In general, ‘thrown under the bus’ is a metaphor for what happens when someone …
“Chicago-style politics” is a phrase used to characterize a supposedly offensive tough, “take-no-prisoners” or “hardball” approach to politics.
Jacob Weisberg: “Chicago-style politics, in common parlance, refers to the 1950s-1970s era of the Richard J. Daley machine… The …