Wordplay V: (Mostly) Politics Edition

POSTED BY MARTIN KICH

In this series, I have highlighted headlines that are cleverly expressed, making use of puns, irony, figurative language, or unexpected word choices to grab a reader’s attention. Not surprisingly, the Trump administration has so unabashedly flouted all sorts of political conventions that headline writers have felt freer to write headlines that during previous administrations might have seemed unnecessarily flippant or unjustifiably disrespectful.

But let’s start with a headline related to higher ed:

“Battle over College Course Material Is a Textbook Example of Technological Change.”

{Article by Danielle Douglas-Gabriel. Washington Post 14 Apr. 2018.]

And one related to K-12 education:

“Pre-K for All in Oklahoma—Sooner Is Better.”

[Article by Ted Roelofs. Bridge Magazine (Michigan) 24 Apr. 2018.]

“Al Franken Calls for Ethics Probe of Himself.”

[The Daily Beast: PM Cheat Sheet Daily Newsletter. 16 Nov. 2017.]

“Arresting Development.”

[Good Morning from CNN Daily Newsletter. On the arrests of Paul Manafort and Rick Gates. 31 Oct. 2017.]

“Authentic Asininity.”

[Article by Jonah Goldberg. National Review 12 Jan. 2018.]

“Cannabusiness as Usual, Despite Sessions’ Pot Crackdown Threat.”

[Article by Amanda Pampuro, reporter for Courthouse News. AlterNet 10 Jan. 2018.]

“Comey What May.”

[Atlantic Politics and Policy Daily Newsletter. 13 Apr. 2018. On the pre-publication attention to James Comey’s memoir.]

“Conspiracy of Dunces.”

[The Week Daily Newsletter. 11 Nov. 2017. In reference to Paul Waldman’s article “What if the Trump Campaign Was Too Stupid to Collude?”]

“Dear Mr. President: Golfing through the Ruins.”

[LA Progressive Daily Newsletter. 27 Oct. 2017.]

“Donald Trump Kicks Himself in the Behind with S___hole Comment.”

[Article by Conor Guffy. Australian Broadcasting Network Daily Newsletter 12 Jan. 2018.]

“Fire and Fury Signifies Nothing.”

[Article by Kate Aronoff. In These Times 8 Jan. 2018.]

“The G.O.P. Poverty Agenda: More Training, More Pee.”

[HuffPost Politics Daily Newsletter. 12 Apr. 2018]

‘The ‘hole Truth: Trump Is Gaffe-Proof.”

[Column by Eric Zorn. Chicago Tribune 12 Jan. 2018.]

“How Do You Watch the Olympics in the Shadow of Nuclear Apocalypse?”

[Article by Will Leitch. New York 8 Jan. 2018.]

‘The Inseverable Roy Moore.”

[The Week Daily Newsletter. 19 Nov. 2017. In reference to Paul Waldman’s article “Why the GOP Is Stuck with Roy Moore.”]

“Issa Nother Retirement.”

[Atlantic Politics and Policy Daily Newsletter. 10 Jan. 2018. On Rep. Dan Issa’s announcement that he will not seek re-election.]

“Jeff’s Concessions.”

[Atlantic Politics and Policy Daily Newsletter. 14 Nov. 2017.]

“John Kelly Probably Shouldn’t Buy Any Green Bananas.”

[Article by Jonathan Chait. New York 23 Mar. 2018.]

“Kellyanne Conway Is Concerned about the Self-Centered Liar Hogging the Spotlight.”

[Daily Kos Recommended Daily Newsletter. 17 Apr. 2018. On Conway’s response to James Comey’s promotion of his book.]

“Leaks about the Leaking Leakers Who Leak.”

[CNN segment placard. 15 May 2018.]

“Less Is Moore.”

[Jonah Goldberg’s G-File Daily Newsletter. National Review 10 Nov. 2017. On the Senate candidacy of Roy Moore.]

“Looking for a Stable Genius for President.”

[Article by Amy Davidson Sorkin. New Yorker 8 Jan. 2018.]

“Manafort Monday.”

[ThinkProgress Daily Newsletter. 30 Oct. 2017.]

“Mob Boss vs. Slimeball.”

[Los Angeles Times Today’s Headlines Newsletter. 16 Apr. 2018. In reference to Comey’s characterization of Trump and Trump’s characterization of Comey.]

“Moore Is Less.”

[Jim Geraghty. Morning Jolt Newsletter. National Review 10 Nov. 2017. On the Senate candidacy of Roy Moore.]

“Moore Misogyny.”

[Progress Report Daily Newsletter 13 Nov. 2017.]

“One Fish, Two Fish, Whitefish, $300 Million Fish.”

[Atlantic Politics and Policy Daily Newsletter. 27 Oct. 2017. On a Montana company’s receiving a major contract to restore power to the island of Puerto Rico, even though it had only two full-time employees.]

“Paul Krugman Asks an Apt Question: ‘How Do You Ask a Man to Be the Last Man to Die for a Pee Tape?’”

[Post by durrati. Daily Kos 15 Apr. 2018.]

“Proud to Live in a Nation of Holers.”

[Article by Bret Stephens. New York Times 12 Jan. 2018.]

“’Repeal and Go Fuck Yourself’ Is in Full Effect.”

[Article by Jack Holmes. Esquire 21 Sep. 2017. On the attempt to pass the Graham-Cassidy Bill that would have repealed and ostensibly replaced the Affordable Care Act.]

“Reveal and Replace.”

[Atlantic Daily Newsletter. 21 Sep. 2017. On the slow revelation of the details of the Graham-Cassidy Bill.]

“The Rise—and Stall—of Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg.”

[Article by Audie Cornish. NPR’s All Things Considered. 9 Apr. 2018.]

“Schoolhouse Wreck: The Betsy DeVos Story.”

[Ryan Grim’s The Intercept Daily Newsletter. 25 Mar. 2018.]

“Showdown in November: Fearsome Blue Wave, or Flaccid Democratic Failure?”

[Artilce by Kurt Schlichter. RedState Townhall 16 Apr. 2016.]

‘The Tease-Pacific Partnership.”

[Atlantic Politics and Policy Daily Newsletter. 12 Apr. 2018. On Trump’s suggesting that the U.S. may wish to reconsider its decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.]

“There Is an Old Man Yelling Things on the White House Lawn.”

[Esquire Daily Newsletter. 26 Oct. 2017.]

“Thus Spake Oprah as the New York Times Spots UFOs over the Comb-Over Empire.”

[Article by Phil Rockstroh. Dissident Voice 11 Jan. 2018.]

‘Tripped Up in Asia.”

[The Week Daily Newsletter. 11 Nov. 2017. In reference to Jarry J. Kazianis’ article “Trump’s Disastrous Trip to Asia.”]

“Trump the Impaler.”

[Article by Paul Waldman. The Week 2 Nov. 2017.]

“The War Hawk with the Odobene Mustache.”

[“Slack Chat.” Daily Intelligencer Newsletter. New York 24 Mar. 2018. On John Bolton’s appointment as National Security Adviser.]

“Why Papadopoulos Spells Trouble for Trump.”

[Salon Daily Newsletter. 31 Oct. 2017.]