The Forbidden Political Dictionary
Complete and Unapproved

John Clifton's new book is a "Devil's Dictionary" of political words and phrases, illustrated with cartoons by the author, that will have conservatives, liberals and  independents laughing and thinking at the same time.

Ever wonder what politicians really mean by words like “transparency,” “reform,” “diversity,” “nation-building?”  Award-finalist author John Clifton shows you in this handy guide that it’s never what you think!  What about those buzz words political columnists and pundits love to bandy about – “beltway,” “quid pro quo,” “soccer mom?”  And just what is a “yellow dog Democrat” anyway?  You’ll find in this concise volume some rather unexpected if not astonishing answers.  It’s all here from “academia” to “Zionism,” insightfully and perversely defined for you in terms that leave the language laid bare and, occasionally, laid in ruins.

As far as partisanship goes, here is an equal opportunity work.  If you are a (“raving”) liberal or a (“staunch”) conservative, or anything else, you will find plenty with which to identify within these covers.

“Politicians,” Clifton writes, “are, after all, really just one big happy family.  They may regularly indulge in heated disagreements, partisan battles, mud-slinging skirmishes and occasional fisticuffs, but underneath, politicians are all the same – their underwear is cut from the same cloth, so to speak.  While the right, left and center may vehemently differ on the issues, they all use the same words and phrases with which to excoriate each other and congratulate themselves.  So words become the glue of politics, a comforting thought to think that our leaders are bound together in this way.”

Being such a direct influence on our lives, especially today, politics needs to speak clearly.  This book assures that no matter what’s being put before us, we will correctly misunderstand what’s being said.

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“Whatever your political stripe (red, blue, purple or any hue between) you will get a hearty chuckle (and maybe emit a loud guffaw) at John Clifton’s wittily barbed definitions. So many of them hit their targets with dagger-like accuracy that you’ll gasp with delight. Be the first to share Clifton’s sharp and funny words via e-mail or at the water cooler. These will travel fast.”
    – Marvin Terban, award-winning, best-selling author of many books on the English language and wordplay.

"The book politicians don't want
you to read!"