Politics I know something about, and an hour doesn’t pass where politicians and sausage makers don’t dive in some form of another. The ref, here, is you. You get to vote, so you’re the one who must be influenced dishonestly.

– Those outraged e-mails you get from interest groups seeking money. (The level of actual outrage felt by everyone who writes them is much lower than the e-mail text implies, because if not, the number of high-profile politicians who fall victim to on-the-job heart attacks would jump.)

(Here’s the subject line of one, from Rep. Alan Grayson, Democrat of Florida. “Our Party. Our Country. Our Last Chance.” There’s no way in the world that could be true. But… )

– Deliberately taking different positions on one issue in a primary, and then changing your mind when the electorate is larger and more moderate.

– Dogwhistling: using code words and phrases to incite, energize, or annoy.