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A.Word.A.Day--stump speech

stump speech (stump speech) noun

A political speech, delivered on a campaign tour.

[Originally, campaigning politicians often stood on tree stumps when addressing voters. Today, the stump is used metaphorically in expressions such as "stump speech" (a campaign speech) or "on the stump" (on the campaign trail).]

Hustings is the British equivalent of the US word stump. Until 1872 Hustings was the raised platform from which candidates were nominated for the British Parliament, and where they addressed electors.

See more usage examples of stump speech in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

"What was supposed to be a debate between the two 14th District candidates ended up being a stump speech by the one candidate who showed up Monday at the Akron Press Club." Stephen Dyer; US Congressman Skips Akron Press Club Debate; Akron Beacon Journal (Ohio); Sep 28, 2004.

"Addressing the association members, (Bob) Brown delivers his standard stump speech, sprinkled with a joke or two, about his fiscal and energy proposals." Charles S. Johnson; Brown Takes Quiet Approach to Politics; Missoulian (Missoula, Montana); Oct 10, 2004.

In just two weeks, United States citizens will vote for their next president. The US presidential election is one event that determines the fate of not just one country but also of much of the rest of the world.

If you think about it, it's astounding how one office can have so much power over the lives of so many -- power that can be used as the winner chooses: to make a difference in the people's lives or to brush them aside.

The word election comes from the Indo-European root leg- (to choose) that is also the source of such words as intelligent, diligent, logic, dialog, and legal. In fact, that's probably not a bad way to choose a candidate: one who is intelligent, one who is diligent in solving problems, one who uses logic, one who prefers to engage in a dialog, and one who employs legal means.

If you're a United States citizen, make your vote count this November 2. Be informed. Think of the country. Think of the world. And vote with your conscience. In the meantime, enjoy this week's words from the world of politics and elections.

My name is Anu Garg and I approved this message.

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