front-porch campaign
- noun
- /frʌnt pɔːrtʃ kæmˈpeɪn/
- Literature
- FDR's advisors were unanimous in urging him to play it safe and wage a front porch campaign; his running mate, John Nance Garner of Texas, told him, "All you have got to do is stay alive until election day."
- front-porch campaign of McKinley
Examples
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Harrison's front-porch campaign was also much better organized and more carefully scripted:
Academic text (1997) -
Bryan's herculean speaking tours and McKinley's slick front-porch campaign marked a giant step in the direction of the modern candidate-centered campaign.
Academic text (1997) -
It is remembered for Bryan's precedent-shattering speaking tour as well as for the carefully orchestrated and impressive front-porch campaign of William McKinley.
Academic text (1997) -
The 1908 campaign began with both candidates, William Howard Taft as well as Bryan, intent on conducting a front-porch campaign reminiscent of McKinley's 1896 campaign.
Academic text (1997) -
In the early 20th century, many candidates, including McKinley, successfully employed a front-porch campaign to connect with voters from their homes.
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William McKinley's front-porch campaign in 1896 allowed him to reach out to supporters without extensive travel.
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Candidates today often consider a front-porch campaign as a way to engage with their community while reducing the costs of travel.
Synonyms
Giving speeches and meeting supporters at your home instead of traveling to many places
Antonyms
- Literature
A series of energetic political speeches in different places to gain support
How Mobile
Surface Forms
Morphology
front-porch + campaign
The meaning ('a political campaign run from or at a candidate's front porch') is directly derivable from combining 'front-porch' (the porch at the front of a house) with 'campaign' (a planned series of political activities). This is a straightforward locative composition following normal English patterns and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.
Etymology
The noun front-porch campaign comes from a simple image: a candidate standing on the front porch of their house while people came to listen and talk, instead of the candidate traveling around. That's why it means 'a campaign where the candidate makes speeches and meets supporters at or near their home'.