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!”