Funds used for a political campaign that are not properly disclosed before an election.
The term was apparently coined by Mother Jones.
D
deduct box
The locked box where legendary Louisiana Gov. Huey Long kept “deducts” from state employee salaries to fund his political operation.
Estimates suggest Long collected between $50,000 to $75,000 each election cycle from government workers. The deduct box was kept at his Roosevelt Hotel headquarters in New Orleans.
After being shot in 1935, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports Long was asked on his deathbed by Roosevelt Hotel owner Seymour Weiss, “Huey, where is the deduct box?” Before falling into a coma, Long responded, “I’ll tell you later, Seymour.”
The deduct box was never found.
DINO
Democrats In Name Only (DINO) is a disparaging term that refers to a Democratic candidate whose political views are seen as insufficiently conforming to the party line.
Dorothy Dixer
A planted or pre-arranged question asked of a government minister by a backbencher of his or her own political party during Parliamentary Question Time.
The term refers to American advice columnist Dorothy Dix’s reputed practice of making up her own questions to allow her to publish more interesting answers.
The term has been used in Australian politics since the 1950s, and has become increasingly common in everyday usage, but interestingly is virtually unknown in other countries where Dix’s advice column was equally popular.
dummymander
A dummymander is a gerrymander by one party “that, over the course of the decade, benefits the other party, and actually looks as if it was designed by that party rather than the party in power.”
The term was coined by Bernard Grofman and Thomas Brunell in their article, “The Art of the Dummymander.”
demon sheep
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 Fiorina (R) which described her primary opponent as a “FCINO” (Fiscal Conservative In Name Only). He was portrayed as not just a wolf, but a demon with glowing eyes, in sheep’s clothing.
dark horse
A dark horse candidate is a little-known politician who emerges to win a primary election and capture his party’s nomination.
The term is derived from an unknown horse winning a race and was first used by Benjamin Disraeli in the novel, The Young Duke.
The desk
Another name for the rostrum where the presiding officer and various clerks of the chamber sit. According to recent practices, most bills, resolutions, and committee reports are delivered to the clerks at the presiding officer’s desk for processing throughout the day. Up until the 1960’s, measures delivered to the desk could be held, unprocessed, for days to allow the addition of new signatures. This unpopular procedure has now been discontinued.
Dear Colleague letter
Official letter distributed in bulk by a member to all congressional members. Dear Colleague letters typically include issues related to co-sponsoring or opposing a bill, new procedures or upcoming congressional events. Although Dear Colleague letters have been used by members for over a century, technological advances in recent years have facilitated their distribution. In 2008, the House introduced a web based e-“Dear Colleague” system, streamlining topic headings and distribution lists.
demagogue
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 with baseless accusations being Communists.
dog-whistle politics
A type of political speech using code words that appear to mean one thing to the general population but have a different meaning for a targeted part of the audience.
The Economist: “Over the past few weeks, a new expression has entered the Westminster lexicon: dog-whistle politics. It means putting out a message that, like a high-pitched dog-whistle, is only fully audible to those at whom it is directly aimed.”
