Is Teflon out and .... in?

[Laurence Horn]

On Jan 1, 2012, at 3:23 PM, Garson O'Toole wrote:

> David Barnhart wrote:
>>> '_styrofoam_ campaign'
>
> Thanks David: Here is a link and some excepts that may help to
> elucidate the metaphor. Of course, metaphors sometimes have unintended
> implications. The eHow website notes: "If you cut Styrofoam
> incorrectly, the plastic foam may crumble or break in the wrong spots.


It also wreaks havoc with the environment, but maybe for the relevant constituency that's not necessarily a bad thing.

LH

>
> Mitt Romney's 'styrofoam campaign'
> By Alex Castellanos, CNN Contributor
> updated 10:38 AM EST, Sun January 1, 2012
> http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/01/opinion/castellanos-iowa-republican-field/index.html
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> Whether Romney has run a brilliantly passive race or a fortunate one
> does not matter. Passionless, but not hollow, his campaign has been as
> buoyant as Styrofoam. Romney may continue to float downriver to the
> nomination, full of holes, on a rigid structure of air.
> ...
> Romney's noncampaign campaign may also be a brilliant strategy for the
> general election, the perfect way to receive a billion dollar's worth
> of negative bullets from Team Obama. Styrofoam is light but stronger
> than it looks. A few more holes won't sink it. And styrofoam runs
> neither hot nor cold: It is hard to love but, for the same reason,
> hard to hate.
> [End excerpt]
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org