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ALIENS
Not the ones that we see in Hollywood movies, but non-citizens as they are referred to in American statutes and discussions. Many States retired the term given the hostile connotations it evokes but it continues in many statutes. Words such as ‘illegal aliens’ and ‘criminal aliens’ are frequently used in the campaign. >Presidential candidate Donald Trump and vice-presidential candidate Mike Pence use the term liberally .
ABORTION
Perhaps no other issue divides America like this one. The debate on abortion leaves hardly any scope for nuance and can break personal friendships. A case in point is the backlash that Hillary Clinton, who is pro-abortion-rights, had to face when she said, “The unborn person doesn’t have constitutional rights.” While pro-abortion activists accused her of ‘humanising’ the foetus, anti-abortion conservative groups attacked her for not respecting the rights of… yes, you got it. Now, talking of ‘humanising,’ Democratic strategists have thought Ms. Clinton needs some of it, for a long time; hence, a beeline of storytellers appeared on the Democratic National Convention stage recounting stories of her kindness, and humanity. Time magazine wrote: “The tributes were meant to serve a simple-yet-somehow-perpetually-elusive goal: humanise Hillary Clinton.” Most American publications have a written on the idea of ‘humanising Hillary,’ whatever that means.
BIGLY
Donald Trump’s contribution to the English language. He uses it whenever he has to intensify something he is describing. “We will speed up the process, bigly,” “we will cut the taxes for the middle class, bigly” are some classic Trump sentences. He has indeed used this word bigly throughout the campaign (and my MacBook is not underlining it in red now). It came up three times in the third debate. Hope Hicks, Trump campaign spokesperson, explained earlier this week that he has been saying “big league,” not “bigly”.
BUNDLER
One who collects small amounts from a group of people and bundles it for a candidate or a party. For instance, an Indian ‘bundler’ invited people home last week in Virginia to dine with vice-presidential candidate Tim Kaine.
BIRTHERISM
Birthers are those who don’t believe that President Barack Obama was born in America. Trump was a major champion of the birther movement. He even insinuated once that Obama was not taking tougher action against the IS because he may be a closet Muslim. On September 16, Mr. Trump made a major concession speech in which he finally said Obama was born in America. Mr. Obama responded with: "In other breaking news, the world is round, not flat."
BIBLE BELT
Informal reference to the region in southeastern and south-central United States where socially-conservative, evangelical Protestantism plays a strong role in society and politics. The Republican Party is more influential in this region, but in this election, choosing between Mr. Trump and Ms. Clinton has put the believers in a dilemma. They can’t even figure which is Devil and what is Deep Sea.
CITIZENS UNITED
A case that is one of the central themes of U.S. political debate. In 2010, the U.S Supreme Court ruled that corporations and associations are protected by the same rights the Constitution gives to individuals, to propagate political ideas. The ruling allowed corporations to make unlimited contributions to political causes, though they can only make limited contributions directly to a candidate or a party.
CLINTON
The word is noun, adjective and verb in this election. Used more as derivatives such as Clintonesque and Clintonian. “Over the years, journalists have used the adjective "Clintonesque" to mean many things, from draft-dodging to baby-boomer liberal, to philandering,” >a Wall Street Journal columnist wrote in 1998 . But in this election, Republicans and Conservatives use it as a slang to describe obfuscation, impunity and corruption.
CONCESSION SPEECH
The speech that the loser gives at every level of the election. Most candidates keep a concession speech and a victory speech ready, on the day of the election. Mitt Romney who was busy putting together his Cabinet in the last days while Obama was campaigning non-stop, apparently did not have a concession speech ready. In Trump’s case, he has not even decided whether he will concede the election if he loses.
DISASTER
The word that is used the most by Mr. Trump. TPP, military, health care, immigration…you name it and Mr. Trump will complete the sentence with the word ‘disaster.’
DOG-WHISTLE POLITICS
Political messaging in language that will sound ordinary and generic to the general population but has additional meaning to certain sections, like how dogs hear sounds humans can’t. It is often meant to invoke racial or sectarian sentiments. Mr. Trump’s slogan Make America Great Again is the best example — nobody can have a complaint with that, but for many, it could mean rescuing America from an African-American President, for instance. That is a slogan that can have many subjective meanings. There are examples from India too. Google “pink revolution” + Bihar and see.
EVANGELICALS
A broad term to describe Christians who tend to strongly believe in the religious sanctity of marriage, stand against abortion and believe that it is their duty to propagate the Bible. Evangelicals are considered to be a strong political constituency though they do not have a singular leader.
EMINENT DOMAIN
Conservatives in America rile against the power of the state to take over their property for public purposes, which is called eminent domain. Mr. Trump supports eminent domain. Conservatives are all for strict and absolute private property rights; they favour social control only when they talk about abortion rights of women.
EELECTORAL COLLEGE
The President and VP are elected through an electoral college in the U.S. Voters cast their votes to elect a set of electors from each State, who will in turn cast their votes for the President and VP. So, presidential elections are not won by winning the maximum number of votes across the country, but winning enough States to add up to 270 electoral college votes or more.
FLORIDA
The State at the southeastern tip of the U.S has been a Republican stronghold, but is in play this year with a close contest there between Mr. Trump and Ms. Clinton. In the year 2000, this was the State that turned the election against Al Gore, as George Bush won it by 537 votes. However narrow the margin may be, the winner takes all the electoral college votes in the State. So, Bush lost the 2000 election if you look at the national popular vote figures, but he went on to win the presidency because he won Florida, which has 29 electoral college votes. Florida can do that again — and it appears to be a neck-and-neck contest between Ms. Clinton and Mr. Trump. That is the reason why both candidates are sweating it out in Florida.
GOTV
The Get Out The Vote campaign is what volunteers conduct over the last few days, specifically targeting those who voted in 2008 but did not vote in 2012.
GROUND GAME
More or less equivalent to what is called ‘booth management’ in India, i.e, having volunteers reach out to voters at the local level, encouraging them to register, vote. Ms. Clinton has an excellent ground game in this election, while Mr. Trump, who has alienated most of the traditional functionaries of his own party, is struggling to manage ground operations.
GERRYMANDERING
The redrawing of Congressional districts in a manner that makes a particular outcome more likely. Usually, the Democratic and Republican leaders who are entrenched in their own regions collaborate and carve the State into Congressional districts that they can win. Minority groups, including African-American, often get a bad deal in the process, studies have shown.
HILLBLAZERS
The young Democrats who rallied behind Hillary Clinton in 2008 called themselves Hillblazers. They are eight years older, but many Hillblazers occupy important positions in her 2016 campaign.
HEALTHER
One who believes that Ms. Clinton has serious health issues that she is hiding from the public. Numerous conspiracy theories float on radio talk shows and the Internet. A slightly more unhealthy habit of her opponent allegedly grabbing and kissing women at random has overshadowed healther conspiracies in the weeks leading up to the election.
IMMIGRATION REFORM
There are multiple issues here, but at the heart of the debate is the question of 11 million undocumented people in the U.S. There are an estimated three million children born to them, who are American citizens. Many Republican leaders used to support a pathway to citizenship for this undocumented population, but with the atmosphere vitiated by Mr. Trump’s campaign against ‘illegal immigrants,’ any meaningful discussion on the issue appears difficult in the near future. At least a few lakh Indians are also in this category.
INNER CITY
A euphemism for black neighbourhoods in a city which are usually poorer than the average, more so after affluent people moved to the suburbs. Mr. Trump repeatedly uses the term, in a manner that many African-Americans find offensive. “Our inner cities are a disaster,” for instance. Ms. Clinton’s messaging to the African-American community is more measured. She talks about ‘systemic racism’ and ‘implicit bias’. It is technically not correct to say that inner cities are poorer or predominantly Black-American. “So... Who's going to tell Trump that the White House is in the inner city?” one African-American tweeted after the second presidential debate. But then, White House is an African-American place now. And Mr. Trump thinks that is a ‘disaster,’ perhaps?
JUSTICES
The U.S President appoints Supreme Court judges and the Senate confirms the appointment. SC Justices are appointed until death and the effects of a particular judge will last long after the President that appointed her or him is gone. Since the SC is where all political and social issues are finally adjudicated, the appointment of judges is a major campaign issue. Abortion, immigration, campaign funding, same-sex marriage, gun rights — the present legal status of all these issues are settled by the SC, quite often in 5-4 decisions. One vote to the other side will change the course of America. This year the issue is all the more important because the next U.S President will likely appoint several justices to the highest court. There is one vacancy already, and several others are ageing. Many conservatives and Republicans will vote for Mr. Trump only for this reason.
KEYSTONE PIPELINE SYSTEM
An oil pipeline system in Canada and the United States. A fourth-phase extension of the pipeline has become a symbol of the contest over climate change and fossil fuels. Mr. Obama scrapped the extension of the project in 2015. Mr. Trump supports fossil fuel industry and promises to expand it in the U.S. He also supports the extension of the Keystone project.
LIBERTARIAN PARTY
Founded in 1971, the Libertarian Party claims to be “the only political organisation which respects you as a unique and responsible individual.” It is also guided by scepticism about state power. The party made some news this season when its presidential candidate Gary Johnson wondered on live TV, ‘What is Aleppo?”
MARRIAGE EQUALITY
It allows gender-neutral marriages for both same- and opposite-sex couples. Over the last five years, most Democrats have moved to clearly supporting marriage equality. Ms. Clinton is a relatively recent convert to the cause. ‘Protection or defence of marriage,’ is the conservative euphemism for allowing marriages only between a man and a woman. Mr. Trump says he believes in that, though his earlier positions supported homosexual rights.
NRA
The National Rifle Association, the body of gun enthusiasts and manufactures that raises massive amounts of money and campaigns aggressively against candidates that support gun control. This year’s key target is Ms. Clinton; the NRA has endorsed Mr. Trump. NRA’s most famous belief is that the only thing that “stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” Since many bad guys already have guns, it focusses on persuading good guys to buy guns. It calls itself a “civil rights body”. Wayne LaPierre, NRA head, was labeled the “craziest man on earth” by the New York DailyNews .
OBAMA-...
Obama, Obamacare, Obama States, Obama coalition….Barack Obama remains a central figure in the 2016 campaign though he is the outgoing President. He is more popular than both the Presidential candidates. He commands strong loyalty among his supporters, and Ms. Clinton’s path to success hinges on her ability to restore and carry the Obama coalition — the blacks, Latinos, college-educated whites, women, and the independent and millennial voters who put him in the White House.
PRO LIFE
Those opposed to abortion and believe that life begins at conception.
PRO-CHOICE
Those who support a woman’s right to receive an abortion.
PROGRESSIVE
Perhaps the most confusing of all American terminologies for an Indian is the term “progressive”. In India, from Maoist supremo Ganapathi to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Meerut leader Sangeet Shom, everyone calls his or her politics “progressive”. In America, calling someone ‘progressive’ is the worst abuse a conservative can come up with. Republican Senator Ted Cruz’s biggest criticism against Mr. Trump was that he is a “progressive liberal”.
PUTIN
Russian President Vladimir Putin may be impressed with himself for the fact he has become such an important factor in the U.S. elections. No speech by Ms. Clinton is complete these days without bringing up Putin’s role in the U.S election. She has alleged that Putin is overseeing the WikiLeaks disclosures targeting her to turn the election in Mr. Trump’s favour. Ask the Clinton campaign managers any question, and they would likely say how dangerous Putin is. What did she tell the Wall Street bankers? Why did she say there must be a public position and private position for politicians? “Putin is…”
QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL
Done almost daily on various questions related to the campaign and quoted frequently in major publications.
RUST BELT
A grave description of the decline of northeastern and midwestern regions of the U.S that used to be the centre of American manufacturing for more than a century. Ghost factories, diminishing populations and seething social unrest in this region represent the opposition to trade and globalisation that has become a defining theme of this election. Steel-producing cities in Pennsylvania and Ohio are at its centre.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Beyond the literal meaning of the concept, American evangelicals believe that their right to stay true to their faith is under attack from the state. They campaign for prayer in public schools and raise questions such as whether Christian vendors should be required by law to provide services for same-sex weddings.
SECOND AMENDMENT
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free [s]tate, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." The right to bear arms has been extended to a level in the U.S that one can buy an automatic rifle over the counter in most part of the country, while buying a prescription drug will be much more difficult. There is also conflation of religious faith and gun rights in the U.S.
SUPER PAC
Super Political Action Committees are theoretically independent political action panels which may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but are not permitted to contribute to or coordinate directly with parties or candidates. In many cases, the donors can remain anonymous and this is one main source of American political corruption.
TRUMP
Generations to follow might think that the English word trumpet has its root in Trump like the word erotic comes from Greek god Eros. Political scientists may define and study Trumpism as a political ideology in the future, for all you know.
TIC-TAC
The friendly mouth-freshener is having a serious branding crisis after getting entangled in Mr. Trump’s explicit boasts about of his sexual prowess. “I’ve got to use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her,” Trump is heard as saying on the tape. “Tic Tac respects all women,” Tic Tac USA said on Twitter later. “We find the recent statements and behaviour completely inappropriate and unacceptable.” Mr. Trump says nobody respects women more than he does. “He thinks that because he has a mouthful of Tic Tacs he can force himself on any woman within groping distance,” said Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren.
VETERANS
Former military personnel are not only a political constituency, but are also a potent tool in campaigns. Veterans are respected by the U.S society at large and all campaigns feature some recognisable veteran figures in the forefront.
WIKILEAKS
The daily dumping of hacked emails of John Podesta, who is Ms. Clinton’s campaign chief, has brought WikiLeaks, the whistleblower website championed by Julian Assange, into the centrestage of American campaign.
WALL
The wall that Mr. Trump has promised to build along the U.S.’ southern border with Mexico may never materialise but will remain the lasting memory of this campaign. ‘Build that wall,’ is the war cry at Trump rallies that charges up his supporters.
XENOPHOBIA
Every American and anyone in the world interested in American politics must have come across this word more frequently than ever in his or her lifetime, during this campaign.
YUUGE
Mr. Trump apparently says “yuuge” for “huge”. His critics have latched on to it, and articles have titles such as ‘Trump’s yuuge lies”. Bernie Sanders also pronounces the word like that, and he has even used it in press notes. It is apparently how Brooklyn kids learn to pronounce the word ‘huge’.
