Last week at CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) in Washington D.C., many of the top conservative politicians such as Marco Rubio, Sarah Palin, Rand Paul and Paul Ryan discussed why the Republicans lost the 2012 election. They publicly referred to this event as an autopsy.  This was a startling use of a metaphorical expression given that an autopsy is only done when a person had died.  The implication is that the Republican Party was already dead.  Nonetheless, the conference allegedly generated new ideas for reviving the party in hopes of winning future congressional and presidential elections.

Here are a few more metaphorical expressions based on human experiences with death and dying.

atrophy

When someone has a serious injury to his her arms or legs, the muscles will begin to lose their strength due to lack of use.  This process is called atrophying of the muscles.  More generally, the person’s body is sometimes thought to be wasting away before death. In politics, a process or program that is no longer successful may be described as beginning to atrophy.

Example:  Peace talks between warring nations may atrophy if the ambassadors or secretaries of state cannot make any progress.

last-gasp strategy

When a person is dying, he or she may gasp for breath.  The last breath one takes before dying is called a last gasp.  Metaphorically, when a process is not working, we may say that it needs a last-gasp strategy to come back to life.

Example:  A presidential candidate behind in the polls may have a last-gasp strategy of giving more speeches just before the election.

succumb

When someone dies, we may say that he or she has succumbed or been defeated by a serious illness or injury.  In politics, a candidate or politician who loses an election or loses a battle with other members of Congress may be described as succumbing to the problems.

Example: A good president will not succumb to the pressures of his or her adversaries in the government.  Instead he or she will follow a new path.

flatline

In an emergency room, a person with a serious injury or illness will be connected to a machine that monitors the heart function of the person.  If the heart is beating normally, the machine will beep at every heartbeat and draw a line up and down on the screen.  If the heart stops beating, the line will go flat.  This is referred to as flatlining, meaning the patient has died.  In common terms, a program or process that has ceased to function may be described as flatlining.

Example: In tough economic times, a governor may need to flatline the funding for some development projects.

fatal

The word fatal means causing death. For example, a fatal accident means the injuries incurred in an accident killed the person.  In common terms, any action that causes the death of a process may be called fatal as well.  A mistake in planning an important action may be referred to as a fatal error.

Example: An unpopular bill in Congress may be dealt a fatal blow if it is opposed by a majority of one political party.

Next time:  More on Metaphors of Illness

Last week I heard a journalist explain that the Republicans had a big tent problem.  Given that the party seems to be fractured into two divisions of traditional Republicans and more conservative Tea Party Republicans, there does not seem to a unified party.  And after their defeat in the 2012 presidential election, some pundits complained that the Republicans were not reaching the Latino or African-American voters.  Not being able to include all Americans in their policies amounts to having a big tent problem, as if a circus cannot include all of its acts under one tent.

Several aspects of our American political system are often compared to circus acts or performers.  We may hear of juggling, a dog and pony show or fire-breathing politicians. More commonly, many discussions of entitlement programs for the poor such as food stamps refer to the safety nets used by trapeze artists in a circus.

tent poles

Tents are held up by the poles at the corners or perhaps the center.  In metaphorical terms, the tent poles of a political party or organization are the principle ideas of that group.

Example: Small government and fiscal responsibility are two tent poles of conservative Republicans.

juggle

Juggling is the act of one person (sometimes two) throwing and catching many balls as they travel through the air.  One can also juggle many tasks or duties at one time if one is very busy.

Example: The U.S. president must be good at juggling many different executive responsibilities at one time.

fire breathing

In some circuses, a person holds a flaming torch and spits out a flammable material so that it burns very high and bright.  These performers are called fire breathers.  In politics, a person is very determined to get something done may also be called a fire-breathing politician.

Example: Some fire-breathing progressives want to take all the money from the defense budget and give it to education.

dog and pony show

Animals are often used in circus performances.  One of the most common routines is to have dogs and ponies do tricks for the audience.  This is called a dog and pony show.  In politics, a dog and pony show is any event that seems to be performed for the sake of fooling someone, not representing the real truth of how something works.

Example: When members of the U.S. Congress go overseas to visit other countries, they are often treated to a dog and pony show by local officials, boasting how good their countries are, when they may actually be very corrupt.

safety net

When circus performers do tricks high in the air, such as those done by trapeze artists, a large net is stretched below them to catch them in case they fall. This is called a safety net.  In political terms, a safety net is anything that helps people out of financial or legal dangers.

Example: The U.S. welfare system, in which the government provides money to low income families, is a safety net for people who lost their jobs and cannot pay their bills.

hucksters

                  Someone at a circus or carnival who tries to sell things to people for high prices which may not be worth anything, is called a huckster.  In politics, a person who conducts illegal business activities may also be called a huckster.

Example: Some people say that the banking crisis of 2008 was caused by Wall Street hucksters who made too many bad investments and lost too much money.

Next time:  Beefing Up Security:  Metaphors from Down on the Farm