Human Sacrifice, Dogs and Cats Living Together!

Quote: “I’m here to tell you, if either of these two guys get the nomination, it’s going to destroy the Republican Party, it’s going to change it forever, be the end of it.” Rush Limbaugh, referring to John McCain and Mike Huckabee.

Figure of Speech: oraculum (or-AH-cu-lum), the prophetic figure. From the Latin, meaning “oracle.” Also ominatio (om-in-AH-tio), the warning.

When someone says he’s here to tell you, be prepared for a healthy dose of hyperbole. The expression implies that God has placed him among mortals to serve as Holy Mouthpiece. Hence the term oraculum, or oracle, a voice of godly advice or prediction.

Used sparingly, the oraculum provides a rhetorical drum roll, making the audience sit up and listen to what you’re about to say. “I have no other purpose on earth,” the oraculum says, disinterestedly,  “but to tell you that the end of the Republican Party is nigh.”

Figaro doesn’t know how nigh it really is, but the GOP’s destruction would gladden his heart. As would the demise of the Democrats. It’s your party, Huck. Cry if you want to, Hill. But Figaro prefers his politics to be stranger than faction.

Snappy Answer:  “Go McAbee!”

Comments

[Figaro]

To preclude the inevitable question, the title comes from a line by the great rhetor Bill Murray in "Ghostbusters."

Fig.

[bteapot]

GO HUCKABEE!!!!! GO McCAIN!!!! Maybe one of them will take Rick Moranis as a running mate and/or gatekeeper?

[Linda]

Perhaps McCain will get the nomination and select Huckabee to be his running mate. I can just see that gasbag Rush having a stroke.

[APM]

My favorite quotes in Ghostbusters come from Rush Limbaugh's academic opposite: our dear friend Egon Spengler.

It seems to me that Egon prefers the meiosis to the oraculum. His classic understatements--as opposed to Rush's overstatements--are the best!

Egon: Don't cross the streams.
Venkman: Why?
Egon: It would be bad.
Venkman: I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean, "bad"?
Egon: Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light.
Venkman: Right. That's bad. Okay. All right. Important safety tip. Thanks, Egon.

(For the same pattern of exchange, cf. the conversation Egon has with Winston about the "big twinkie.")

Egon becomes a hero to closet nerds everywhere through his rhetoric. In this scene, he turns the womanizing Venkman into the straightman, a role usually reserved for the Egon-types.

At the end of the day, though, who would you rather be? Egon's got the meiosis, but Venkman's got the girl.

[Figaro]

Brilliant meiotic take on the end of the world, AP. I like to think that Egon got the girl, too--the cute secretary with the flawless New York accent.

Fig.