Dog Whistles, Walk-Backs, and Washington Handshakes: Decoding the Jargon, Slang, and Bluster of American Political Speech

Contents

Contents ix Foreword by Jeff Greenfield xi Introduction Chapter 1 1 Bed-Wetters, Sherpas, Squishes, and Other Personality Types Chapter 2 37 “With All Due Respect, I Deeply Regret Holding You in Minimum High Regard”: Only-in-Politics Expressions Chapter 3 69 Going Downtown through the Overton Window to Play in the Endgame: People, Places, and Things, Both Real and Imagined Chapter 4 100 On a Glide Path with an Odd Couple to Nut-Cutting Time: The Legislative Process Chapter 5 129 Dead Money, Dog Whistles, and Droppin’ the G’s: The Lingo of Campaigns and Elections Chapter 6 173 Having to Explain Blowback on the Tick-Tock: The Media and Scandals 203 Acknowledgments 205 Notes 247 List of Terms ...