stealth candidate

Definition

A political candidate who deliberately avoids media coverage, debates, and public appearances to prevent gaffes or scrutiny of unpopular positions. The electoral equivalent of hoping everyone forgets you exist until voting day.

Example Usage

Critics accused him of running as a stealth candidate, declining interviews and hiding behind carefully scripted campaign ads.

Origin

American political terminology from the 1990s, borrowing from stealth aircraft technology designed to avoid detection.

Fun Fact

Some stealth candidates successfully win by running against unpopular opponents—letting the other person self-destruct while staying invisible proves remarkably effective.

Source: Campaign strategy terminology

Related Terms

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grandfather clause

A provision that exempts people or entities already engaged in an activity from new regulations, often creating two-tier systems. Originally designed to disenfranchise Black voters, now mainly used to protect existing businesses from inconvenient rules.

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omnibus legislation

A massive bill bundling many separate measures into one package, forcing legislators to accept good and bad together. It's democracy's version of holiday fruitcake—nobody wants all of it, but it comes as one indigestible mass.

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caucuses

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carpetbagger

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parliament

The theatrical venue where elected representatives gather to debate, legislate, and occasionally hurl verbal barbs at each other while pretending democracy is a dignified process. These legislative bodies transform talking into an actual job description, complete with procedural rules so arcane that members need dedicated staff just to explain what's happening. British parliaments are particularly famous for their "hear, hear!" shouting matches and Prime Minister's Questions, which resembles professional wrestling but with better vocabulary.

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lobbying

The practice of attempting to influence legislators on behalf of special interests, conducted by professionals who get paid handsomely to take lawmakers to expensive dinners and explain why their client's interests perfectly align with the public good. Pure coincidence, really.

🏛️ Government / Politics

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