Nader’s Nadir

Quote: “If the Democrats can’t landslide the election this year, they ought to just wrap up, close down.” Ralph Nader, after announcing his third run for president.

Figure of Speech: anthimeria (an-thih-MER-ia), the verbing figure. From the Greek, meaning “one part for another.”

Here we go again. When Democrats accuse him of being the Spoiler Redux, Nader replies with an anthimeria, which changes one part of speech, such as a noun (“landslide”), into another part of speech (“landsliding”).

The rumpled crusader maintains that that his campaign shouldn’t affect the outcome at all.  But it’ll jack up his ego like a pimped-out Corvair.

Figaro interviewed Nader in 2000, months before he denied Democrats a win in the crucial Florida balloting. When Figaro asked if someone put a gun to his head and told him to vote for either Gore or Bush, which he would choose, Nader answered without hesitation: “Bush.” Al Gore, he said, had “totally betrayed” his environmental stand. “If you want the parties to diverge from one another,” Nader continued, “have Bush win.”

Mission accomplished.

Snappy Answer:  “So you want to see them close down?”

Comments

[Djr]

Did you see where he said that it was time for a "Jeffersonian Revolution"? That man needs a good boot to the face.

[David Block]

It looks like Ralph is going to need a copy of "Thank You for Arguing" if he wants to have any chance of persuading anybody to support him. So let us ask, 'cui bono?' - who does this campaign benefit? A certain somebody will find his book sales - to use an antimacassar, the figure of speech described by Aristotle's mother - *skyrocketing.* Meet us all in Ohio, and let's debate your obvious scheme, Figaro! David Block

[Linda]

As usual, your "headline" is clever. Is that a pun, or is there a more rhetorical term for it?

[Bella Silverstein]

It always amuses me when someone who hasn't so much as been elected dog catcher decides to snag the presidency as his very first political office. Before his 2000 run, Nader was admirable; after 2000, very generous people might have chalked him up as well meaning but severely naive; now, it's clear he's an egomaniac bordering on a nutcase: someone who doesn't believe the best interests of the nation trump his own interests. It's a shame he decided to muddy his legacy like this — again.

It's not exactly an anthimeria, but is anyone else out there also tired of the use of "grow" to mean "increase?" (As in, "let's grow the business," instead of "let's increase the business," as if concepts, companies and populations were the same thing as potatoes and cabbages.) If "grow" is followed by a direct object, that direct object ought to be something that sits well in manure.

[bteapot]

I didn't realize Bell's Palsy caused brain damage.

[claytonian]

Come on now. If it was about ego he would have given up after everyone yelled at him the first time. The man is about his causes, and trying to break up the two party paradigm.

[Figaro]

If it were Mayor Bloomberg doing the paradigm-busting, Figaro would be clapping.

Linda, the headline is an ANTANACLASIS,a homonymic (like-sounding) pun. Thanks for mentioning it!

Fig.