Top definition
Dog whistle is a type of strategy of communication that sends a message that the general population will take a certain meaning from, but a certain group that is "in the know" will take away the secret, intended message. Often involves code words.
Republicans say they want to make civil rights for gays a state issue, which is really just a dog whistle strategy for saying that they will refuse to grant equal rights on a federal level.
by magnummanager July 22, 2011
May 17 Word of the Day
Briefly, "the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own." Originally from the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, which has a lot more beautiful neologism definitions like this you might enjoy.
by rednos January 10, 2013
2
In politics, to make an innocuous statement which is designed to trigger previously indoctrinated bigotry & hatred without being recognized by outsiders for bigotry or hateful speech.
1. "Barack Obama is a *community* *organizer*, which is like being Mayor without the responsibilities"
In the previous days, Rush Limbaugh had repeatedly railed against "communist union *organizers* who claim to be part of your community," and "*Community organizers* like Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton from the urban areas who want what they call 'social justice' - meaning people like you and me get our wealth redistributed" Those who missed this or even read a transcript without emphasis wouldn't pick up on the previously mentioned connotations or the hatred that had been carefully engrained in the words. The dogwhistle approach was wildly successful at stirring the base without detracting from her shiny new image.
2. A commercial was created portraying Barack Obama's achievements in an awed tone and questioning how he did it, with the same font, background imagery, and tone as the Left Behind movies. This casually portrays him as the Antichrist to those deathly afraid of an Antichrist, while not being picked up by anyone else. Dogwhistling to the fundamentalists is a strategy McCain has to use to keep his base awake while not offending the rest of the country.
In the previous days, Rush Limbaugh had repeatedly railed against "communist union *organizers* who claim to be part of your community," and "*Community organizers* like Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton from the urban areas who want what they call 'social justice' - meaning people like you and me get our wealth redistributed" Those who missed this or even read a transcript without emphasis wouldn't pick up on the previously mentioned connotations or the hatred that had been carefully engrained in the words. The dogwhistle approach was wildly successful at stirring the base without detracting from her shiny new image.
2. A commercial was created portraying Barack Obama's achievements in an awed tone and questioning how he did it, with the same font, background imagery, and tone as the Left Behind movies. This casually portrays him as the Antichrist to those deathly afraid of an Antichrist, while not being picked up by anyone else. Dogwhistling to the fundamentalists is a strategy McCain has to use to keep his base awake while not offending the rest of the country.
by Andronomy September 15, 2008
3
a secret whistle used by dogs so they can identify each other as members of the cool whistling dog club
by mantis_shrimp August 03, 2020