Safire's Political DictionaryWhen it comes to the vagaries of language in American politics, its uses and abuses, its absurdities and ever-shifting nuances, its power to confound, obscure, and occasionally to inspire, William Safire is the language maven we most readily turn to for clarity, guidance, and penetrating, sometimes lacerating, wit. Safire's Political Dictionary is a stem-to-stern updating and expansion of the Language of Politics, which was first published in 1968 and last revised in 1993, long before such terms as Hanging Chads, 9/11 and the War on Terror became part of our everyday vocabulary. Nearly every entry in that renowned work has been revised and updated and scores of completely new entries have been added to produce an indispensable guide to the political language being used and abused in America today. Safire's definitions--discursive, historically aware, and often anecdotal--bring a savvy perspective to our colorful political lingo. Indeed, a Safire definition often reads like a mini-essay in political history, and readers will come away not only with a fuller understanding of particular words but also a richer knowledge of how politics works, and fails to work, in America. From Axis of Evil, Blame Game, Bridge to Nowhere, Triangulation, and Compassionate Conservatism to Islamofascism, Netroots, Earmark, Wingnuts and Moonbats, Slam Dunk, Doughnut Hole, and many others, this language maven explains the origin of each term, how and by whom and for what purposes it has been used or twisted, as well as its perceived and real significance. For anyone who wants to cut through the verbal haze that surrounds so much of American political discourse, Safire's Political Dictionary offers a work of scholarship, wit, insiderhood and resolute bipartisanship. |
From inside the book
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Page 43
... Republican conban the bomb See BETTER RED THAN DEAD . gressmen appealed to President Nixon to go slow on the 'bargaining chip' idea, callbarefoot boy from Wall Street Descrip- tion of Republican presidential candidate Wendell L. Willkie ...
... Republican conban the bomb See BETTER RED THAN DEAD . gressmen appealed to President Nixon to go slow on the 'bargaining chip' idea, callbarefoot boy from Wall Street Descrip- tion of Republican presidential candidate Wendell L. Willkie ...
Page 44
... Republican party in the mid-1850s. for him to get out and fight hard. He also realized that it was up to him to prove that he could stand the physical and mental rigors of a political campaign.” A “Value Voters Barnstorm” helped Mike ...
... Republican party in the mid-1850s. for him to get out and fight hard. He also realized that it was up to him to prove that he could stand the physical and mental rigors of a political campaign.” A “Value Voters Barnstorm” helped Mike ...
Page 53
... Republican leaders John Connally, Ronald Reagan, and Nelson Rockefeller and said pointedly: “The Republican tent is big enough to encompass the four A Senate committee headed by Millard Tydings of Maryland, following a four-month ...
... Republican leaders John Connally, Ronald Reagan, and Nelson Rockefeller and said pointedly: “The Republican tent is big enough to encompass the four A Senate committee headed by Millard Tydings of Maryland, following a four-month ...
Page 59
... Republican party as fanatically pro-Negro. Stephen Douglas, who was to be Lincoln's chief antagonist six years later, began denouncing “black Republicans” as early as 1854, when what was to become the Grand Old Party had barely hatched ...
... Republican party as fanatically pro-Negro. Stephen Douglas, who was to be Lincoln's chief antagonist six years later, began denouncing “black Republicans” as early as 1854, when what was to become the Grand Old Party had barely hatched ...
Page 60
... Republican problem has been to retrieve African-American support—black Republicanism is still employed occasion- ally in a bantering way. Joe Martin, the former House Republican leader, recalled request- ing of Franklin Roosevelt a new ...
... Republican problem has been to retrieve African-American support—black Republicanism is still employed occasion- ally in a bantering way. Joe Martin, the former House Republican leader, recalled request- ing of Franklin Roosevelt a new ...
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Common terms and phrases
action Administration aide American appeared applied asked attack became become began bill Bush called campaign candidate century charge City civil columnist Communist Congress conservative convention criticism deal defense Democratic described early economic Eisenhower election expression forces foreign former George give Governor head House idea included interest issue John Johnson Kennedy known later leader liberal major meaning ment metaphor military never Nixon nomination noted original party peace person phrase play political politicians popular position Post President presidential referred reported Republican Robert Roosevelt rule Secretary Senator sense speech talk term thing tion told took turn United usage usually Vice vote voters Washington White House word writer wrote York