Dead cat strategy
Dead cat strategy refers to the introduction of a dramatic, shocking, or sensationalist topic in order to divert discourse away from a more damaging topic.[1]
History and usage
Identification of examples may be considered subjective; some articles citing the technique are listed for illustration:
United Kingdom
- This cap on bankers’ bonuses is like a dead cat – pure distraction (3 March 2013 - The Telegraph)
- Boris Johnson, who ran for Mayor of London in 2008 and 2012, described the strategy: “There is one thing that is absolutely certain about throwing a dead cat on the dining room table – and I don’t mean that people will be outraged, alarmed, disgusted. That is true, but irrelevant. The key point is that everyone will shout, ‘Jeez, mate, there’s a dead cat on the table!’ In other words, they will be talking about the dead cat – the thing you want them to talk about – and they will not be talking about the issue that has been causing you so much grief.”[2]
United States
- 'Hamilton' is Trump's dead cat, (22 November 2016 - CNN Opinion)
- Donald Trump wiretapping claim[3]
See also
- Chewbacca defense, a similar strategy in criminal law
- Diversionary foreign policy
- Fearmongering
- Post-truth politics
- Propaganda techniques
- Rally 'round the flag effect
- Wag the Dog
References
- ↑ Clarke, Kellner, Stewart, Twyman, Whiteley (2015), Austerity and Political Choice in Britain, Palgrave Macmillan, p. 96, ISBN 9781137524942
- ↑ Delaney, Sam. "How Lynton Crosby (and a dead cat) won the election: ‘Labour were intellectually lazy’". www.theguardian.com/politics. The Guardian. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
- ↑ "Trump and the media - Is it war or love?". BBC. 10 March 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
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