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| | *the "ground game": this is part of politics which consists of "getting out the vote" by calling and driving people on your side to polling booths so they can vote, or giving them mail-in ballots to the extent that early voting by mail is allowed in your State before election day. The Democrats have a better "ground game" in the key State of Ohio than Republicans do. The term is derived from football, where the "ground game" is the nitty-gritty way for a team to move the ball down the field, by giving the ball to the running back and blocking for him. | | *the "ground game": this is part of politics which consists of "getting out the vote" by calling and driving people on your side to polling booths so they can vote, or giving them mail-in ballots to the extent that early voting by mail is allowed in your State before election day. The Democrats have a better "ground game" in the key State of Ohio than Republicans do. The term is derived from football, where the "ground game" is the nitty-gritty way for a team to move the ball down the field, by giving the ball to the running back and blocking for him. |
| | *the "coattails": this refers to how the popularity of a presidential candidate in an election will tend to pull up other candidates in his political party on the same ballot, because many voters do not engage in "split-ticket voting," whereby they vote for a Democrat for president but a Republican for Congress. Mitt Romney's "coattails" will help pro-life U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin in Missouri, because Romney leads Obama by nearly 10 points in that State. | | *the "coattails": this refers to how the popularity of a presidential candidate in an election will tend to pull up other candidates in his political party on the same ballot, because many voters do not engage in "split-ticket voting," whereby they vote for a Democrat for president but a Republican for Congress. Mitt Romney's "coattails" will help pro-life U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin in Missouri, because Romney leads Obama by nearly 10 points in that State. |
| − | *"to walk something back": this means for someone to back down and retract or apology a statement he made. For example, recently Romney campaign advisor John Sununu said that the endorsement of Barack Obama by Colin Powell, who is also black, was because both are black. Predictably, the media and many Democrats criticized Sununu for his remark, and he then "walked it back" - i.e., revised his statement to say Powell's endorsement had nothing to do with race.<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sununu-says-powell-endorsement-of-obama-was-for-someone-of-his-own-race/2012/10/26/2f1192c6-1f63-11e2-8817-41b9a7aaabc7_story.html</ref> | + | *"to walk something back": this means for someone to back down and retract or apologize for a statement he made. For example, recently Romney campaign advisor John Sununu said that the endorsement of Barack Obama by Colin Powell, who is also black, was because both are black. Predictably, the media and many Democrats criticized Sununu for his remark, and he then "walked it back" - i.e., revised his statement to say Powell's endorsement had nothing to do with race.<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sununu-says-powell-endorsement-of-obama-was-for-someone-of-his-own-race/2012/10/26/2f1192c6-1f63-11e2-8817-41b9a7aaabc7_story.html</ref> |
| | *to "pivot": like other political terms, this one comes from sports. Not football this time, but basketball, where a player changes direction with a "pivot". In politics it refers to how a candidate will change direction in an answer to a question to a topic more favorable to him, as when Mitt Romney "pivoted" in the second debate to talk about Obama's "Fast and Furious" scandal in response to a question about gun control. | | *to "pivot": like other political terms, this one comes from sports. Not football this time, but basketball, where a player changes direction with a "pivot". In politics it refers to how a candidate will change direction in an answer to a question to a topic more favorable to him, as when Mitt Romney "pivoted" in the second debate to talk about Obama's "Fast and Furious" scandal in response to a question about gun control. |
| − | *the "narrative": this refers to the basic story line that a politician wants to make as favorable as possible to his image or candidacy. Elections are won or lost based on a candidate's ability to get his own "narrative" in the media, rather than allowing his opponent to present that narrative in a less favorable way. | + | *the "narrative": this refers to the basic story line that a politician wants to make as favorable as possible to his image or candidacy. Elections are won or lost based on a candidate's ability to get his own "narrative" in the media, rather than allowing his opponent to present a different, less favorable narrative about him. |
| | *"political capital": this term is taken from the financial world, where "capital" refers to how much someone has to spend and invest. "Political capital" refers to how much support a politician has obtained, through an election or perhaps a momentous event like winning a war, which the politician can then "spend" by pushing bills through Congress. An example is how Obama spent his political capital obtained in the 2008 election by enacting ObamaCare. | | *"political capital": this term is taken from the financial world, where "capital" refers to how much someone has to spend and invest. "Political capital" refers to how much support a politician has obtained, through an election or perhaps a momentous event like winning a war, which the politician can then "spend" by pushing bills through Congress. An example is how Obama spent his political capital obtained in the 2008 election by enacting ObamaCare. |
| − | *"civil rights": this term usually applies to rights guaranteed by the First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment, particularly rights against racial and other kinds of discrimination | + | *"civil rights": this term usually applies to rights guaranteed by the First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, particularly rights against racial and other kinds of discrimination. |
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| | == Newspaper endorsements == | | == Newspaper endorsements == |